TOW the Secret Identity
by writerchic16
Summary: Monica has some explaining to do when Chandler discovers her missing in the middle of the night. Complete!
1. Prologue

**TOW the Secret Identity**

Summary: Monica has some explaining to do when Chandler discovers her missing in the middle of the night. "Zoom" crossover.

A/N: Yeah, I know, Zoom was a pretty bad movie. It was corny, predictable, clichéd, and had no sense of pacing whatsoever. But when I saw how "Marsha Holloway" (Courtney Cox's character) was so obsessive with her Zoom comic books, she reminded me of Monica…plus the fact that a big reason I wanted to see Zoom was because Cox was in it. Then this story idea evolved in my head. Don't worry, though, this is only meant to be a few chapters long, not an epic or anything. And if it sucks or is too far fetched, please tell me and I'll just drop it.

For those rare few who actually saw the movie, I might stretch or ignore some of the facts about Marsha's past, but whatever, it's just a story. Also, for those of you wondering, the movie 'happened' in this universe a few months ago, so the public has known about the team for a while.

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**Prologue**

"Look at this!" Rachel exclaimed. Yes, she was reading the newspaper, but only because she had left her magazine at home and the paper had been on the table. "The Zoom team strikes again!"

Joey, sitting at a nearby table, leaned forward in his seat, his eyes eager. He loved comics books, and finding out about real life superheroes had been a dream come true for him. "Really? What'd they do this time?"

"It's another super villain. He calls himself the 'Volcano'," Phoebe read, after she had moved closer to Rachel on the Central Perk couch. After the Zoom team made their debut, many other test subjects exposed to gamma radiation had shown themselves. They chose to use their powers for evil, turning the Unites States into a living comic book.

"Why's that? He shoots lava from his hands?" Chandler guessed, only half-joking.

Phoebe stared at him. "Yeah! How'd you know?"

"I'm still having trouble getting used to this," Ross admitted, reaching over Joey and Phoebe's laps to grab the newspaper. "I wouldn't even believe it if it weren't in newspapers and on television. Mon, what about you?"

Monica, who was sitting on the easy chair, glanced up like a dear caught in the headlights. "W-what? Sorry…guess I wasn't listening."

"Yeah…" Ross trailed off, creasing his brow in concern. His sister had been a little…'off' for a while now, and he was really starting to worry. "We were talking about how there's a new super villain."

Monica gave a small, confident smile. "I'm sure the Zoom team can handle whoever it is."

"I don't know about that," Chandler commented. "This guy looks pretty tough. He's robbed, like, ten banks in New York City and they don't have a clue who his real identity is."

"Well, superheroes are good at concealing their identities too," Monica retorted.

Ross wasn't sure, but he thought he detected a bit of defensiveness in her tone. "No one said they weren't."

"Hey, who's she?" Chandler asked, pointing at a picture in the center of the page.

Rachel took back the magazine and skimmed the caption. "Oh, that's that girl the team calls for back up a lot. They've started calling her 'Hurricane,' since she has super breath."

"Super breath?" Joey questioned, confused. "You mean, like, she's a chic with really bad breath?"

"No, it means she can blow super hard," Phoebe explained, holding up the picture. It showed Blizzard blowing away a car that was about to be hit by part of a falling building.

Ross chuckled, "So I guess she has a lot of hot air."

"She's really hot," Chandler noted, after studying the picture. He then winced, half-expecting his fiancé to yell at him…and was very surprised when she said nothing. He decided to cover his tracks anyway. "Uh, of course, not as hot as you, honey."

Ross was looking at Monica, now extremely worried. Her face was pale, and she was gripping the arms of the easy chair. "Mon, are you okay?"

"Um…yeah…" Monica replied, her voice coming out a whisper.

She had the others' staring at her at this point. Rachel put a hand on her arm. "Mon, honey? What's wrong?"

Shaking her head, Monica massaged her temple. "No, I'm fine, really. Just…talk about something else."

They did, and a few minutes later Monica's cell phone rang. She glanced at the screen, then bolted from her seat. "I have to go everybody…work emergency."

"What? One of the chefs caught fire?" Chandler joked, but she was already out the door. Turning to the others, he asked, "Any of you notice something…_odd _about her lately?"

"Yes! Thank you!" Ross exclaimed. "Always running off to places, never having a good excuse once she got back…and the other day, she came home with a burn on her arm!"

"Well, she is a chef," Rachel reminded him.

"I know, but…I'm worried about her," Ross sighed.

"So am I," Chandler agreed, then went back to the picture. His eyes widened. "Um, guys, is it just me…or does Blizzard look _a lot_ like Monica?"

"What?" Joey went over to examine the picture. "You're crazy, man! Monica's way hotter than that geek." The woman in the picture had her dark hair in a messy bun, was wearing a jumpsuit like Zoom, only in a purple color, and had dorky wrap-around glasses.

Chandler nodded, but couldn't help but stare. "Yeah, I guess…"

The gang glanced at the counter when the portable radio Gunther was listening to crackled. A news announcer interrupted the song that had been playing. "News just in from midtown Manhattan. The 'Volcano' has struck at the Bank of America, but this time with some assistants with his same power. The Zoom team arrived on the scene a good half hour ago, but we've gotten word that they called for Percussion and…oh, here's Hurricane now!"

The gang traded looks. Chandler glanced from Monica's' empty seat, to the radio, and back again. He then tried to convince himself that it was his sex fantasizing pairing his fiancé with a famous superhero.

Though he couldn't deny the coincidence when the announcer remarked, "Wow, the Blizzard's driving up in a Porsche! I guess being a superhero pays off in some way, huh?"

Joey, however, thought nothing of it when nonchalantly remarked, " Huh, and Monica just get her Dad's Porsche. Weird."

The other four did a double take at the radio, then shook their heads in denial.

"Nope."

"Nuh uh."

"Not my sister."

"Not in a million years."


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Just want to correct a mistake I caught in the prologue. Chandler mistakenly says, "Um, guys, is it just me…or does Blizzard look _a lot_ like Monica?" That wasn't a mistake on Chandler's part. I originally wanted Monica's superhero name to be "Blizzard" for obvious reasons, but then changed it after I remembered that the name was already given to a superhero in the movie "The Incredibles" (great movie, by the way). Guess I missed one when I was going back through the document.

Anyway, thanks for the reviews! ( Exintaris – sorry about misspelling Courteney's name; oops!) I really was beginning to convince myself that this was a beyond stupid idea, but I'm glad everybody liked it.

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**Chapter 1**

Chandler tossed and turned in his sleep. His eyes just wouldn't stay closed, no matter how hard he tried. It got to be midnight…then one…then it was two in the morning, when he had to be up for work the next day. _This is nuts. If I don't stop moving now, my hair's going to look worse than it usually does._

He knew what was bothering him, of course. Whenever Monica hid any kind of problem from him, the sleepless nights came in waves. He kept trying to tell himself that it was no big deal, that she was just coming down with the flu or something. It made sense. Monica hated it when people knew she was sick.

But no matter how many times he told himself that, the more he didn't believe it.

Then he convinced himself that it was better than believing that his future wife was running around with a bunch of superheroes, and the other guy in his head usually quieted down..

Tonight, however, the other guy just wouldn't _shut up_.

It was that stupid picture. He kept seeing Hurricane, and putting her next to Monica's face it his head. To him, he couldn't help but think she was the same person. Finally he shook his head, trying in vain to persuade himself that he read…that _Joey_ read too many comic books, and that he should hang out with him a little less.

His eyes half-closed, he reached over for Monica. After a few minutes of feeling around, however, all he could get was the bed sheets. "Mon?"

No answer came. Chandler sat up and glanced around, panic rising in his chest. _It's okay,_ he told himself as he got out of bed, _she's just getting a drink of water. Or cleaning – you know how she gets those cleaning urges in the middle of the night._

Then he heard someone unlock the front door.

_Oh God. _Still in his room, Chandler froze. He could do the manly thing…rush out there and pound the intruder to the ground. But, this was Chandler – it wasn't often that he chose to do the manly thing. _Come on, you wuss. Monica might be in trouble._

Summoning all his courage, he looked in the closet for a blunt object. Finding the mini-vacuum Monica kept in their for "crummy emergencies," Chandler held it at the handle like a sword and began his advance.

When he emerged from the safety of his room, his jaw dropped. But not because of any darkly dressed burglar.

Monica was getting a drink, all right. In a white lab coat and the biggest wire-rimmed glasses he'd ever seen.

She almost jumped out of her skin when she noticed her fiancé standing there, holding her mini-vacuum. "Oh my God, Chandler! What are you…"

"Good morning, Dr. Geller," Chandler greeted, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Getting in from a late night surgery?"

"What?" Monica looked down at herself, as if just realizing she was wearing the jacket. "Oh, God…"

Chandler inched closer to her, on a roll. "Oh, and Ben Franklin called. He wants his bifocals back!"

"Oh my God!" Monica repeated, ripping off the glasses and the coat and throwing them on the kitchen table. She also undid the messy bun.

Chandler's eyes widened, his mouth still hanging open. "Oh my God…I was right! I can't believe it! I was actually right!"

"Right about what?" Monica's face was a mixture or curiosity and dread.

He, however, was too busy bursting into hysterical laughter. "But it couldn't be. I'm never right. You can't be Hurricane. See, what's happening here is, I'm going nuts, but you know what, it's okay. I've accepted it, you should too." Noticing that Monica wasn't joining in the hilarity, Chandler immediately sobered. "Why aren't you laughing?"

"Because it isn't funny."

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"You're…you're…you're really…" A few minutes later, they were sitting on the couch. Chandler had needed to sit down after Monica informed him that she really was Hurricane. "But…_how_? When, when?"

Monica put her hand in his. "Well, I've been working at the underground government facility for years…"

"_Years_?"

"But I've only been part of the superhero team for the past few months," Monica explained.

Chandler stared at her. "But…I've _known_ you for years. You've had jobs…"

"Actually, all the restaurants I've worked at? Those were only a cover," Monica revealed. "Oh, I held down a real part time job, but the rest of the time, and the paycheck, was from the…other job."

Chandler indicated the lab coat and glasses on the table. "So, if you're a superhero, what's with the scientist getup?"

"That's my _other_ identity," Monica began, keeping a wary eye on his reaction. "While I, ah, was training to be part of the facility in college, I…got my Ph.D. in psychology."

He raised an eyebrow. "So you really _are_ a doctor?"

"Yup. Dr. Marsha Holloway." At Chandler's bewildered expression, she continued, "That's what I meant by my other identity. See, when I first started, I was young, and really paranoid that someone from the…office would try to meet me in the real world and blow my cover. I mean, not even my parents or Ross knew, so it would have been really awkward –"

"Ross doesn't know about this?" Chandler exclaimed.

Monica shook her head. "No, sweetie, and I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell him."

"Wait…" Chandler stood, taking all of it in. "I figured you wouldn't me broadcasting this all over Manhattan, but…not even the guys?"

"No, Chandler," Monica pleaded. "No one else can know. I practically had to get on my knees and beg just to be able to tell _you_."

"But…Ross…" Chandler sputtered.

Monica sighed. "I'm working on being able to tell him. But I really wanted to be able to tell _you_. You're different than all the guys I've ever dated. I'm _marrying_ you, Chandler. I didn't want there to be any secrets between us, especially not one as big as this."

"Yeah, thanks for not pulling a _Bewitched_ on me," Chandler quipped.

Monica laughed, then asked, "So, you're…okay with this? I know it's a little hard to believe…"

"Oh, trust me, I wouldn't be believing you at all if…" Chandler paused, wondering if she would think he had been being paranoid. "…if I didn't already think something was going on."

Giving him a confused look, Monica inquired, "What?"

"Oh, come on, you don't think I'm that oblivious, do you?" Chandler retorted. "Okay, I am, but I _did_ notice your increase in 'work emergencies'…what _is_ a work emergency in a restaurant, anyway?"

Ignoring that, Monica pressed, "What else did you notice? I need to know! If _you_ were able to figure it out…"

"Well, it was really nothing you did," Chandler reassured. "It was more like….you would leave for an emergency, and then Hurricane would be on the news. You've been acting a little weird for a while…well, weirder than usual…"

Monica lightly slapped his arm. "Shut up."

"But," Chandler continued, rubbing his arm, "What really made it click for me was the other day, when you had that 'work emergency' that had you out for hours. I mean, we were looking at Hurricane's picture in the newspaper…oh."

"What?"

Chandler grinned. "I'm just realizing something. When I made that comment that Hurricane was hot...I waited for like a _day_ for you to say something about it. I can't believe I was attracted to you…when I didn't even know it was you."

Monica kissed him. "I love you. I'm so happy you're okay with this."

"Well, I don't know about that," Chandler admitted. "It'll take me a while to get used to the idea that my girlfriend can kill me with winds up to seventy miles an hour."

"Actually, if I concentrate, I can get it up around the 90s," Monica corrected, dead serious.

Chandler's eyes widened. "Oh my God."

"I can show you if you want," Monica offered. "Only 'cause, I know if I was telling this to Ross, he wouldn't believe me until I blew him out the window. Which I came close to doing on more than a few occasions."

"Um…all right," Chandler agreed, not really sure what he was agreeing to.

Kissing his cheek, Monica got off the couch. "Stand up." Slightly scared of his future wife, Chandler complied, and backed away a few feet. She took a deep breath, and blew.

The couch rose a few inches off the ground from the force, spinning into the kitchen and scattering the table and chairs. A stack of papers and magazine that had been on the table blew around the room, and the cabinet doors banged open.

Once the air became still again, Chandler could only stare at the chaos, his mouth hanging open. "So I guess you really have to restrain yourself when you blow out your birthday candles, huh?"

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Days later, everyone except Monica was hanging out in hers and Chandler's apartment. All were sitting in the living room watching a movie. In the easy chair, Chandler couldn't stop fidgeting. His fiancé had called earlier, saying she would be home late from work. At least, that was what she had told him to tell the guys. Her tone had made it clear that she was off on superhero duty. And he was a nervous wreck.

He simply couldn't get it out of his head that his future wife was out there kicking ass. Although, if he was being truthful, it was more that he was absolutely terrified that _she_ would get _her_ ass kicked.

Noting what time it was, Ross glanced over at Chandler. "Hey, when did Mon say she was coming home? She's gonna miss the movie."

"So? She wants to work late! Is that so strange? This is Monica we're talking about. Yup, nothing strange about her," Chandler rambled, his voice squeaky.

"Oh, man, not you too!" Phoebe exclaimed. "It's contagious! First Monica was all weird, now you! It's a weirdness virus and it's gonna take us all!"

Ross raised an eyebrow. "Pheebs, if it makes you feel any better, you're probably immune."

Rachel laughed, then asked, "Seriously Chandler, what's up with you two?"

"Nothing!" Chandler protested. "I think the question is, why are _you_ so paranoid?"

"We are not paranoid," Ross argued.

"Yeah!" Joey exclaimed. "You've been acting weird for like a week! Ever since Monica had that, like, _forever_ work emergency. Did you have a fight?"

"No, no no!" Chandler assured them. "We're fine, in fact, we're better than fine!"

"You don't seem like it," Phoebe pointed out, shifting position on the couch. She accidentally pressed a button on the remote, and the movie channel changed.

"Hey!" Joey shouted. "What are you doin', Pheebs? That was _Diehard_ you turned off!"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Joey, you know every word by heart."

"Yeah I do! And every word is pure gold!" Joey whined.

Phoebe was about to change it back, but stopped when she saw the news channel she had switched to. "Hey, look! There's a superhero fight going on now! And it's only a few blocks away from here! Wow!"

Chandler felt his throat parch, his face whiten, and his knees went so weak he would have fallen if he wasn't sitting down. The others didn't know it, but Monica was being attacked by numerous huge guys. "Oh, God."

"I know what you mean," Rachel nodded, with no idea what he was so shocked over. "It's amazing, isn't it? That six-year-old just threw that three-hundred-pound robber thirty feet!"

"Can we switch back to _Diehard_ now?" Joey pleaded.

"No!" Chandler yelled. When the others stared at him, he shrugged, "Well, this is _interesting_."

Ross leaned in closer to the screen. "You know, Chandler, I think you're right. Hurricane _does_ look like Monica! I mean, I know it's impossible, but the resemblance is uncanny!"

"Oh, no! They're totally different!" Chandler replied, sure that he had enough sweat in his armpits that mini-shrimp would start swimming around in them.

They watched the rest of the fight, Joey begging all the way through to change it back to _Diehard_. It looked like the superheroes were winning for a while. Chandler gave a silent cheer every time his fiancé gave a good punch, and cringed whenever she received one. The others remained oblivious to his inner torture, watching the news like they would an action TV show.

Then…then Volcano go the upper hand. The one-sided assault thankfully ended when the "bad guys" finished their robbery and bolted, leaving the superheroes to fly away when the cameras were trained on the villains. However, Chandler didn't breathe easy until his future wife walked through the door.

"You're home!" He leaped out of the chair and ran to give a stunned Monica a big hug.

Monica hugged him back, but not quite as hard. "Honey, it's great that you're glad to see me, but…_ouch_!"

"Oh, God!" Chandler jumped away, just then realizing that Monica was a mess of black and blues. "I'm so sorry! You want me to get ice, or…call 911?"

"Oh my God, Monica!" Ross leaped off the couch, the others following him. He hugged her, but made sure to be much gentler. "What happened?"

Monica stared at her friends' concerned faces. "I…I…was…mugged! Yeah, that's it. When I was coming home from work, these guys came out of no where and…"

"Wait, now did this guy have eight fingers, one eye, or both?" Phoebe asked. At the raised eyebrows directed at her, she explained, "What? I just want to make sure I'm kicking the right ass!"

"I want in on that ass-whooping too!" Ross exclaimed.

Joey nodded. "Me too!"

"Me too!" Rachel shouted. When the others looked at her, she defended, "What? I…I could scratch him or something."

Monica held up a hand, taking the ice Chandler gave her. "Guys, I appreciate it, but it's really not that big a deal."

"Monica, please!" Rachel argued. "You can barely walk!"

"I'm _fine_," Monica insisted, holding on to Chandler's arm as she made her way to the couch."

Ross grabbed the phone. When he saw his sister was about to protest, he ordered, "Monica, you're really hurt. You're going to the hospital."

"But…" Monica trailed off as Ross ignored her and went into the kitchen to make the call. Sighing, she turned to her fiancé. "Chandler, what am I going to do? If we go to the hospital, the police are gonna ask questions, and…I'm gonna have to send them on the trail of robbers that can shoot fire from their hands!"

Chandler put an arm around her shoulder. "Honey, you can't worry about that right now. You need to get help."

"But what about Phoebe…and Ross…and…"

"I'll try to stall the super cop wannabes over there," Chandler assured her.

Monica managed a weak laugh. "Thanks, for this and for being so…calm. I know it must not have been easy waiting for me to come home when you knew what I was doing."

"Try _watching_ what you were doing."

Monica wrinkled her brow. "What?"

Chandler let out a breath. "Well, we were watching _Diehard_ for the gazillionth time when Phoebe sat on the remote and changed the channel to the news."

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry you had to watch that." Monica exclaimed, putting her head on his shoulder.

"Me too. I'm gonna have nightmares for weeks."


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Oopsie, I'm pretty sure I made another mistake. Was Marsha a psychologist in the movie, or a physiologist? Now that I think about it, it makes more sense if she was a physiologist. Can someone who saw the movie please help me out here? Thanks!

**Chapter 2**

Bursting into the apartment, Joey ran past his friends in the kitchen and straight into the bathroom.

Monica and Chandler traded bemused smiles. He knocked on the bathroom door. "Joe?"

"Toilet in mine is clogged. Ya mind? I'm tryin' to do my business!"

Chandler went back to sit at the kitchen table, muttering, "God forbid I wonder why someone needs to use my own bathroom!"

Laughing, Monica stood. "So, what do you want for breakfast?"

"No no no no no!" Chandler pushed her back down, himself going to the stove. "You, sit!"

Monica stared at him. "_Excuse_ me?"

"I meant…" Chandler placated, "_You_ are an injured superhero. Injured superheroes need their boyfriends to wait on them until they get better. That way they can go back to preserving justice and all that crap."

Monica held up a hand. "Sh! Joey can hear you!"

"No he can't. When Joey's focusing on one thing, it's near impossible for him to focus on anything else," Chandler reassured her.

"Oh." Monica grinned, putting her feet up on the chair opposite her. "In that case, I'll have poached eggs and corned beef hash."

Chandler looked at her. "Mon, this is _me_ we're talking about. I don't even know what 'poached' is."

"In that case, regular scrambled eggs and toast would be great, thanks honey," Monica replied.

They were about to sit down to breakfast when there was a knock at the door. Chandler went to answer it before his girlfriend could get out of her chair. He didn't recognize the man at the door, but he thought the guy was a dead ringer for Tim Allen. "Can I help you?"

"Ah, yes, um, does Dr. Marsha Holloway live here?"

Chandler was sure his face whitened. "W-why do you want to know?"

"Chandler, sweetie, who is it?" Monica had gotten up, but froze when she saw who was at the door. "Oh my God, Jack. What…"

"Am I doing here? I was about to ask you the same question," Jack Shepard strolled into the apartment uninvited.

Monica took a few steps back, her hand reaching up for glasses that weren't there. "How did you find me?"

"Your license plate," Jack explained. "I've been worried about you since you…were hurt."

Monica put a hand on her hip. "Thanks, and I'm fine, but…my license plate?"

"The one on the Porsche you drove to the office a few weeks ago," Jack answered. "I took that, searched through the database. You said you lived in New York City, so it wasn't too hard. By the way, who's Monica Geller? A cover?"

Lowering her eyes, Monica answered, "No, Jack. _Marsha Holloway_ is my cover name. _I'm_ Monica Geller."

"What?"

Chandler chose this moment to remind them of his presence. He stuck out his hand. "Hey, I'm Chandler, and I don't know about you, but boy am I uncomfortable!"

"Oh my God, Chandler, I'm sorry! Jack, this is my fiancé, Chandler Bing. Chandler, this is Jack Shephard...someone I work with."

Jack kept one eye on her as he shook Chandler's hand. "Fiancé? I don't understand…"

"Neither do I, but apparently she digs me," Chandler quipped. "So, are you a superhero too?"

"Chandler!" Monica yelled.

Jack rounded on her. "First you lie to me, then you spill your guts to your boyfriend over here? What's next, calling up CNN and giving them the names of the whole team?"

"How can you say that? You know I would never…" Monica began.

"How would I know that, when everything I thought I knew about you was a lie?" Jack demanded. "The team trusts you, Marsha…I mean, _Monica_. How are they going to feel about this?"

Monica put her head in her hands. "I'm so sorry! Just let me explain!" She then went on to tell him how she had been determined to keep her superhero life and regular life separate. Also, she revealed how she had gotten special permission to tell Chandler, and that he would never tell anyone.

Jack massaged his temple. "Marsha…Monica, I'm sorry. I just don't think the team's going to be able to handle this. Trust is big in our business; you know that. As team leader, I say that you're officially suspended until further notice. Don't worry, I'll explain everything to the kids."

Monica gasped. "What? Jack, no, you can't do this!"

"Please, think it over!" Chandler begged.

Jack pushed up from the table and went to the door. "I'm sorry, Monica."

As Chandler comforted his fiancé, Joey stood in the bathroom, shocked more than he'd ever been in his entire life.

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A few weeks later, Joey was pacing his apartment. Keeping Monica's secret had been driving him nuts.

At least when he was covering for her and Chandler's affair, he had been able to talk to _them_ about it. Now, he had this huge secret, and he couldn't talk to _anybody_. It was eating him up inside.

This was also ten times worse because of how important it was. With their romance, if he blurted it out to the others it wasn't that big a deal. It was amazing news, sure, but put in perspective, it paled in comparison to this. If he spilled the info, he'd be putting his friends in danger. Not to mention he really didn't want to get beat up by Monica. She was freakishly strong before, but after finding out she was Hurricane…well, he didn't even want to think about what she could do to him..

Plus, he felt really bad about her being suspended from the team. He wanted to comfort her, tell her everything was gonna work out fine. It getting harder not to say something all the time. Monica had been so depressed since then, without her usual spark of energy. He could tell Chandler was doing his best, but Joey longed to be able to help.

It was worse that the rest of the group had no idea. Zoom team fights with Volcano had been increasing, and therefore the conversations about superheroes among the oblivious three increased as well. There was even talk about why Hurricane has been MIA.

He and Chandler would try to change the subject, but Monica would still make up an excuse to leave the room. He'd lost track of how many times she'd run out of the coffee house in tears, Chandler not far behind.

There was an inner debate going on about whether he should just tell Monica and Chandler that he knew. But whenever he almost had the courage, he would talk himself out of it.

"Hey Joey."

Joey turned to find Ross walking through the door and tensed. "Hey." He had at first automatically assumed that Ross was in on the secret too. Then, after a few comments, and the fact that Ross joined in on the conversation, he had decided otherwise. That had been another unpleasant surprise.

Ross sat at the island, rubbing his forehead. "I just tried to talk to Monica. She won't budge! It's obvious that Chandler knows, but why won't she tell _her own brother_?"

His heart going out to Ross, Joey choose his words carefully. "Dude, don't worry about it. She'll be fine. She has to be."

"What if she doesn't get over whatever's bugging her? What if she gets so depressed that…" Ross trailed off, shaking his head. "I want to be able to help her so bad, Joe!"

Joey nodded. "I know. It's killing me too. It's killing all of us. Rachel and Phoebe can't get through to her either."

"But what could be so bad that she wouldn't even tell us?" Ross wailed. "One day, she was fine! Then all of a sudden she's an emotional mess!"

"I don't know, " Joey lied, feeling worse every second.

Ross folded his arms on the island counter. "I guess we should have seen this coming. She was so 'out there' for months, and now this….I should have done something sooner."

"Ross…"

Shaking his head, Ross admitted, "You know what I did? I got so worried about Monica that…I called Mom and Dad and told them what's been going on."

Joey's eyes widened. "Dude, if she finds out she'll kick the crap out of you."

"I know, and I really regretted it afterwards, but I felt like at least it was something," Ross sighed.

Joey finally went over to sit at the island. "Ross, she'll deal with this. Have you ever known Monica to stay down for long? In fact, I'm a little surprised she hasn't bounced back from this…thing already, whatever it is."

"'Whatever it is.' I need to know! What _happened_?" Ross moaned.

Joey hesitated, desperately trying to get rid of the thought that had just entered his mind. _No! You can't tell Ross! It's ban enough that you know when you're not supposed to! If she finds out you told Ross, she'll never trust you again!_ Still, Joey glanced left, then right, and leaned so that his face was less than a foot away from his friend's. "Ross, what I'm about to tell you is gonna be really hard to believe, but…"

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"How about this?" Rachel grabbed a skirt from the sales rack and held it up.

Monica didn't even pretend to consider it. "No."

"This?" Phoebe took out a shirt.

"No," Monica breathed. She felt her patience wearing thin, but told herself to put on a smile. It was obvious that her friends had dragged her on this shopping expedition to lift her spirits.. Maybe if she pretended to feel a little better, they would leave her alone.

Rachel put a hand on her hip. "Come on, Monica! Cheer up! We're doing our best here. You have to at least meet us halfway."

"Rachel!" Phoebe chided.

"No, she's right," Monica replied. "You guys have been trying. I'm sorry about the mood I've been lately."

Phoebe put a hand on Monica's shoulder. "No! Don't apologize, okay? Just, please, dear God _please_ tell us what's wrong!"

"I wish I could." It was true. She really wanted to tell her friends what was going on. She knew she'd feel so much better. But she also knew that telling her two best female friends would make her situation a million times worse.

Over the past month or so, she had been desperately trying to reach the team. But when the Center blocked her calls, and she had no idea where her teammates lived it was near impossible. She had even gone to a few fights and waited until they were done. Yet somehow, they always disappeared before she could even get near a member.

Rachel caused her to snap out of her out of her reverie. "Why can't you tell us? You know we'd be supportive."

Phoebe nodded. "Yeah! Look how good we were when we found out about you and Chandler!"

"Nobody move!"

The three jumped, turning to the voice. It belonged to a man dressed in dark clothes and a ski mask. In his hand was a gun, and it was pointed at the terrified worker manning the cash register.

Monica let out a breath while her friends hid behind a clothing rack. She could be a regular civilian and wait until the police got here. But there was a reason she was a superhero. She _couldn't_ stand and watch. She had to do something.

She almost attacked the guy, but remembered that she wasn't in her superhero costume. Groaning, she realized she would have to fight him as regular old Monica. But how could she do that, when the store was filled with people, two of which were her best friends?

"Oh my God!" Rachel whispered, in near tears. "What are we going to do?"

Phoebe put an arm around Rachel's shoulders. "What else can we do? We gotta sit here and wait for the police."

Monica waited, but not for the police. Maybe if he grabbed the money quick and ran, she could make up some excuse and go after him.

Luck wasn't on her side, however. The police came, and pretty soon there was a hostage situation.

She took a survey of the large store. Fortunately, most of the other customers were further away from the counter. She and her friends were the only ones who had been browsing near the front, and there wasn't anyone on line.

Before she knew it, Monica was making her way closer to the front doors. The robber was standing near there, watching the cops through the plate glass. His gun, however, was pointed in the general direction of most of the patrons.

"Monica! What the hell are you doing?" Rachel whispered, horrified.

Monica barely glanced at them, her eyes trained on the gun. "You two, stay back!"

"Monica Geller, get your ass over here!" Phoebe demanded.

"Don't worry! I'll take care of this," Monica assured them. Believing that they were still a few yards behind her, she took a deep breath. Blowing at an appropriate level, she was able to knock the gun out of his hand. To get it as far away from him as possible, she kept blowing to make it appear that it was scattering across the marble floor.

With that, Monica seized the opportunity. She gave him a few good roundhouse kicks, and he was unconscious in a manner of minutes. The bag with the money was scooped up by the grateful worker at the cash register.

The next few minutes was a blur. The police ran in, cuffing the guy and giving her their thanks. The store manager promised her a shopping spree.

But later, all she would remember was how Rachel and Phoebe had followed her and seen the whole thing, astonished looks on their faces.

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Monica managed to put off their questions until they got back to her apartment. She figured this would go better if she wasn't trying to drive while explaining her past. Besides, part of her wanted Chandler there for support.

However, once she opened the door she saw she had more support than she thought. All three guys were there and ran to hug her as she walked in. They had heard about the robbery on the news, and how "brave customer Monica Geller" saved the day.

"They showed everything on the security cam. You rocked!" Ross exclaimed.

Monica felt the color drain from her cheeks. "_Everything_?"

"Don't worry," Chandler whispered in her ear, "It just looks like he dropped the gun."

"Thank you," Monica kissed his cheek.

Hearing the comment, Phoebe put in, "But it didn't to us! What the hell was that?"

"Yeah!" Rachel added. "No one's breath is that powerful!"

Monica suddenly felt like she was trapped in a corner. Rachel's comment had Ross and Joey staring at her. Chandler had a protective arm around her shoulders, and the last two were waiting for an answer.

At this point, she had no choice. Either tell them the truth, or risk losing her best friends.

_I don't care anymore_, Monica thought, _I'm almost off the team anyway. I'll never be able to repair my friendship with the kids and Jack. I might as well._ "All right. Let's go into the living room and I'll explain everything."

She started with what she told Chandler, about how she became Hurricane in the first place.

"What? That's ridiculous!" Ross objected. "I've known you since you were born! How could you possibly pull off getting a Ph. D without me knowing?"

Chandler smirked. "What's the matter, Ross? Mad that you're not the only doctor in the family anymore?"

"It's not just that," Ross protested. "Mon, I think I would have noticed if you had superpowers."

"I didn't get my power since I was about sixteen. By then you were already in college," Monica informed him.

"But Mom and Dad…"

Monica waved a hand. "They never noticed anything about me. I hid it for two years, then went away to college. After that, I was recruited to be a superhero at the Center. I said I'd rather be a researcher, and they paid for my Ph. D. Then I moved to this apartment after I graduated."

"But then how did you become Hurricane?" Joey asked.

Monica let out a deep breath. "Well, remember when superheroes became known a few months ago? I may have played a _small_ part in that. You see, um, _I_ was assigned to get back Zoom, _and_ hold try outs for the new superhero team."

"What's you do, make yourself one of them?" Phoebe questioned.

Shaking her head, Monica continued, "No, not at all. At first it _was_ just Princess, Houdini, Mega and Wonder Boy, with Zoom as their coach. I was only the government stooge, doing research and helping them with the training. But…but it's complicated. See, they were originally going to defeat Concussion…back then, he was evil…and the government was going to douse the team with gamma radiation."

"What?" Rachel exclaimed. "That's stuff kills people!"

"I know," Monica smirked. "Which is why instead of following orders, I knocked out the guards that had come with me and busted the kids out."

Chandler gaped at her. "You rescued a bunch of superheroes? You didn't tell me that!"

"I didn't tell you a lot of things," Monica replied. "Anyway, it all worked out for the best. I'd say I became part of the team when I helped them defeat Concussion during the battle. That was a lucky break for me. If it hadn't come together like that, I'd probably be in jail…instead of being suspended from the team that _I_ created."

The others didn't know what to say to that, but Joey blurted, "Don't worry, Mon! I'm sure Jack will understand eventually!"

Both Monica _and_ Chandler turned to stare at him, but it was Monica who stammered, "W-what…how did…" She then realized just how he knew. "Oh my God, you were still in the bathroom?'

Joey hung his head in shame. "Yeah. I was almost finished when the fight started. Then, I felt like it would be too awkward to leave. Kind of like when Ross and Rachel had that huge fight, and the rest of us were trapped in your bedroom."

Rachel gasped. "You guys _heard_ that?"

"I can't believe you!" Ross added.

Chandler held out his hands for a time out. "Big picture, please!"

"Right," Ross thought for a second. "Wait, Joey, was that when you told me what was going on?"

Monica massaged her temple. "You've got to be kidding me! You all knew, and you didn't say anything?"

"In our defense," Phoebe put in, indicating her and Rachel, "We were totally in the dark until today. But we knew something was up."

Joey got up and put his hands on Monica's shoulders. "Mon, I'm really, really sorry I told Ross. It's just that, a few days ago, he came in, and was really worried about you! He was wondering what was going on and…I felt so guilty I just had to tell him!"

"Wait, so what did Joey overhear?" Rachel asked.

"And who's Jack?" Phoebe inquired.

Tired at this point, Monica let Chandler help her tell them about the meeting and her abrupt suspension. When they were done, Monica fell onto the couch between her brother and her boyfriend.

"That jerk!" Ross exclaimed, hugging her. "If I knew where he lived, I'd go kick his ass!"

Phoebe managed a short laugh. "Ross, he's a superhero. You couldn't even kick his _a_."

"Monica, everything's going to be fine. They're going to have to let you back in eventually," Chandler comforted.

Monica put her head in her hands. She didn't want the others to see her cry. "How do you know? What if they drop me completely? They don't need me."

"To hell they don't!" Joey exclaimed. "Have you seen their fights lately? They're falling apart!"

Monica hated to admit it, but she was a little consoled by that. "Thanks, Joey. But it's not just that I want to be part of the team. They're…they're like my second family. I miss them so much. Even Wonder won't talk to me."

"Just give them some time," Chandler told her. "They'll come around."

Monica let out a deep sigh. "I hope so."


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry if this took a little long. I moved into my college dorm (can you believe it? I'm in college! Yay!) and have been quite busy. Plus the fact that my laptop sucks and won't work. I'm using my roommate's laptop at the moment.

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**Chapter 3**

Monica groaned with frustration, slamming the phone back on the receiver. _I give up! They don't want to talk to me, it's their loss_, she thought, not meaning a single word. She had been calling the center non-stop since she got home from "work" at the restaurant. First she had tried the general line. After some smooth talking, she got the operator to connect her to Jack's room. He had been less than civil, along with Summer and Dylan. Even Tucker and Cindy hadn't been their normal friendly selves.

Bringing up her legs, Monica put her head on her knees and sobbed. She'd really done it this time. She couldn't blame the team for being furious with her. If another team member was hiding all this crap, _she_ wouldn't trust him or her.

She understood their anger, she did. _She_ knew all about her teammate's lives. Jack had that auto shop he now ran with his brother. Dylan and Summer were an item, and Summer had just made the cheer squad. Tucker was planning on joining the wrestling team. Cindy was a great little actress. Monica should know – she had been at the first grade production of "Rapunzel."

And what had they known about her? She lived somewhere in New York City. Big whoop.

_Face it, you're no longer part of the Zenith family. You should just save everyone the trouble and quit. Leave the center. Become a real head chef. It won't be so bad being a "normal" person. Maybe if you're lucky you'll lose your power if you don't use it._

Her old life as a superhero was over. Time to move on.

In thinking about her new life, Ross kept coming to mind. He hadn't been the same since she spilled her guts a week ago. She knew he was keeping everything inside. She couldn't help but wonder what was bugging him more – struggling to believe his sister had powers, or that she was a doctor too.

He'd been incredibly skeptical, though he hadn't shown it. He had let Monica finish her story, then accused her of lying. To him, it was a way to get them distracted from whatever was really depressing her.

That problem had been solved when she blew at him so hard, it had looked like he was levitating.

_I can't let him keep stewing in his own mixed emotions_, Monica decided, _I don't want to lose any more family._

In an instant she had walked over to Joey's apartment. She had heard Ross come over earlier. "Hey, guys…"

Joey greeted her with a warm smile. She saw it dimmed somewhat when he noticed she's been crying. "Um, hey Mon. We were just goin' down for some coffee. You wanna come?"

"No thanks. I was actually wondering if I could…talk to my brother for a minute or two," Monica sent a meaningful look at Ross, who had kept the same steady gaze on her since she arrived.

Joey glanced between brother and sister. He was afraid of Monica, but Ross was one of two of his best male friends. "Um, maybe later. See, Ross was telling me how he _really_ wanted to try the new scones Gunter had on the counter…"

"It's okay, Joey," Ross interrupted. "You go ahead. I'll meet you there later." He leaned back on the recliner, Monica taking a seat opposite him on the couch. Once he was sure Joey was gone, he pressed the tips of his fingers together. "What do you want?"

Not used to the hostility from her brother, Monica tried to smother her hurt expression. "Ross, I honestly don't know where to begin. You must have so many questions. I'm not expecting you to forgive me any time soon, but I just want to say how sorry I am…for everything."

"I just want to know one thing," Ross replied, "How could you not trust your own _brother_? I can't believe…I mean, how did you get Mom and Dad to keep it…"

"I didn't."

Ross' eyes widened. "Oh my God…even Mom and Dad didn't…how _could_ you?"

"It's different with you, Ross! You were the golden child! They supported you in whatever you did!" Monica nearly shouted. "I mean, you tried out for _football_, which for you is just as dangerous as fighting crime! And they signed the release form without complaint!"

Ross glared at her. "That doesn't mean you had a right to…"

"You don't get it! If they knew about my power, Mom and Dad would have thought I was a freak! 'Oh, and by the way, I wanna be a superhero!' Yeah right," Monica huffed.

Rolling his eyes, Ross retorted, "Oh yeah, I'm sure they'd be horrified that their daughter wants to save dozens of lives every week."

"No, that's how they'd see it if _you_ wanted to be a superhero," Monica pointed out. "With me, they'd be embarrassed that I was running around in a skin tight suit _blowing_ away villains. I _knew_ they'd say no if I asked them, so…instead of going to a regular college, I joined the center and their education program. They never knew the difference."

"That's just wrong," Ross muttered.

"I know, and I'm sorry…"

"No," Ross corrected, "I meant how they didn't even notice. How _I_ didn't even notice."

Glad she was making some headway, Monica went on, "I always meant to tell you guys, I did. But it got so complicated. I made up 'Marsha Holloway', and…"

"I was wondering about that. Were you really so paranoid that you made a _third_ identity?" Ross asked, a hint of amusement in his face.

Monica thought about that for a minute. "That was mostly why. But at the time, I thought I was going to be a superhero right away. I came up with an idea. Superheroes were always worried their identities would be revealed and get their family in trouble. So I figured 'Marsha Holloway' would be like a second line of defense."

"Wait, so you made a whole other identity…because you were worried about our safety?"

She nodded. "Yeah! And because I was terrified one of my teammates would show up at home in the middle of the night for a mission. I kept having this dream where that happens, and Mom and Dad standing in the living room, wearing their robes, horrified looks on their faces."

"And then the teammate will run off in fright at the sight of Mom and Dad in robes," Ross quipped.

"Well, that's the point where I would wake up," Monica laughed softly, "But that's probably what would happen."

Ross had one more question. "But why didn't you tell _me_?"

"Are you kidding me?" Monica exclaimed. "Ross, I hated your guts back then! And being the Mommy's boy that you were, you'd turn into a five-year-old tattle tale the minute I told you."

"I was not…I guess you have a point there:" Ross admitted.

Monica took his hand. "So, are we good?"

Ross hesitated. "You're really a doctor?"

"Yup. According to government records, I'm physiologist Dr. Monica Geller," she laughed.

"Well, it's going to take me a while to get used to that," Ross confessed, "But yeah, we're good."

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"A grown man reading a bunch of comic books," Rachel mused as she walked into her apartment. "There's something I only thought I'd see at a Superman convention."

Joey didn't even hear her and Phoebe walk in. He had found Monica's secret stash of Zoom comics, and was devouring each and every one. When he asked her about them, she had gotten all tense and said he could keep them. While he felt bad about Monica's situation, how could he say no to free comic books? "Guys, check it out! Monica has, like, _every_ one ever made! And she gave 'em to me!"

"Monica doesn't seem like the type to be obsessive about superheroes," Phoebe commented, sitting on the recliner across from Joey.

Rachel put a hand on her hip. "Phoebe, she _is_ a superhero."

"I meant the old Monica. The normal Monica who didn't have superpowers!" Phoebe paused. "Wow, there's a sentence I never thought I'd say."

Clearing some space, Rachel sat next to Joey on the couch. "I know. It's so weird, isn't it? You think you know somebody."

"Yeah, but I think you were a little oblivious." At Rachel's expression, Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Please, you've known her since you were like five!"

'In my defense, Monica said she only got her power when she was sixteen!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Will you two quiet down, I'm tryin' to read here!" Joey shouted, not taking his eyes off the book.

Phoebe laughed. "And there's a sentence I never thought I'd here _him_ say."

Lowering her voice, Rachel asked, "So Pheebs, you've been kind of quiet about this whole Monica situation. Any thoughts?"

"I still think Monica's not the type to run around in a jump suit and kick ass," Phoebe admitted. "I kinda saw her as…well, you know how in some cartoons, there's like this kid wannabe superhero that follows all the other superheroes around, but they tell her to stay back because it's too dangerous?"

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, that's her."

"I'm sorry, but I see the nerdy Hurricane on TV blowing bad guys around, and I just can't believe she's our obsessive, competitive Monica," Phoebe shrugged.

"I know what you mean," Rachel sighed, "but you saw what she did to Ross."

Phoebe smiled. "Yeah, that was fun to watch."

"You know, I think for the first time you and Ross are on the same page. He doesn't believe it either," Rachel mused.

Phoebe thought about it. "I guess so. Though with him, it's more like 'superpowers and superheroes aren't real.' With me, I believe in that stuff, Monica just doesn't seem like the type to be involved in …that."

"Yeah," Rachel agreed, "You know somebody for so long, then all of a sudden they're somebody totally different. You can't really look at her the same way, can you?"

Tapping her fingers on the recliner arm, Phoebe commented, "Can you imagine what she must have went through all these years? Going through all of this alone? Almost getting killed several times a week and having to hide it? Saving all those lives? And now people she called family don't even want to talk to her?"

There was silence for a few minutes. They turned as the door clicked – Monica walked in. "Hey guys, what's – "

"Monica!" Rachel jumped out of her chair to give her a big hug.

With a confused look on her face, Monica gave her an awkward hug back. "Hey, Rachel."

"You poor thing!" Wiping tears from her eyes, Rachel guided her to the couch and dumped some more comics on the floor. "Sweetie, sit down and put your feet up."

"Wh…what's going on?" Monica asked, a little scared.

Phoebe went to massage Monica's shoulders. "Nothing. We were just thinking about how much you deserve a massage. Plus it's kinda cool that I can say I massaged a superhero." At Monica's glare, she added, "But I won't."

"You know, I could get into these comics," Rachel remarked. She had picked up one she had knocked off the couch.

Joey nodded, finally taking his eyes off the page. "Yeah! They're great, aren't they? It's not fair – you've been hogging them!"

Glancing at one, Phoebe wondered, "Hey, Mon…are these comic books true?"

"Oh, come on…" Rachel scoffed at first, then considered it. "…are they?"

Monica tilted her head. "Most of it.."

Rachel's draw dropped open, while Phoebe and Joey's eyes widened. "Oh my God!"

"Well, it's not _all_ true," Monica amended. "Some of it is government propaganda. But a lot of it is real."

Joey grinned. "Hah, so Chandler can't tease me about reading comic books anymore! It's history!"

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Ross walked into Central Perk and took a seat near the other five. They had been there for a good hour or so. "Hey. Oh, Mon, I called Mom and Dad."

"What the hell did you do that for?" Monica cried, slapping his arm from her seat at the end of the couch.

Rubbing what he was sure would turn into a black and blue, Ross replied, "Calm down, I didn't tell them anything. I just casually mentioned that you might have something to tell them. You know, laid the groundwork. Mentally prepared them a little bit."

"Prepared them for what?" Monica huffed, crossing her arms.

Ross rolled his eyes. "Monica, you _have_ to tell them."

"Why?" Monica demanded. "Give me one good reason."

"How about the fact that they're your _parents_?" Chandler put in.

Monica glared at him. "And how often do you talk to _your_ parents?"

Chandler lowered his eyes. "I'll shut up now."

"Monica, you're right, none of us have the best relationships with our parents," Rachel placated. "But this is different.'

Monica gave her brother an accusing stare. "What about you, huh? When you smoked pot in college, you didn't tell them!"

"Because that's something normal that everyone hides from their parents," Ross countered, lowering his voice to a whisper, "Putting on a jumpsuit and kicking ass every week is not."

Joey nodded. "Yeah, think about it Mon. Even Clark Kent's parents knew he was Superman!"

"But that's a comic…" Monica's protest died on her lips as she remembered what she told Joey the other day. "Never mind."

"Phoebe, you haven't said anything. What do you think?" Rachel asked.

Phoebe took a long sip of her coffee, then remarked, "I'm with Monica. Why _should_ she tell them, you know? They keep stuff from _their_ kids all the time. My mom kept the fact that she was going to kill herself secret, and look how that bit everyone in the ass when they found out?"

Monica interpreted her friend's words for a second, then gave her brother a reassuring pat on the knee. "I'll visit them this week."

"That's all I ask," Ross grinned, patted her hand in return, and saw what time it was on his watch. "Oh, guys, I gotta go. I have class in a half hour!"

The five chatted for a while. They were interrupted when a brunette girl about sixteen-years-old stood next to the couch arm Monica was leaning against. Noticing her, Phoebe asked, "Can we help you?"

The girl's eyes were riveted on Monica's, breathing heavy with anger. "It's true. You're here."

"Oh my God, Summer!" Monica exclaimed. She would have jumped up and hugged her if she didn't think she would be telekinetically thrown against the wall. "I can't believe it! I'm so happy to see you!"

Summer just glanced at the rest of the group. "We need to talk. Without _them_."

"Oh, sure." Monica got up, then barely looked at the others as she and Summer walked to the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?"

Once they left, Rachel raised an eyebrow at Chandler. "What was _that_ about?"

"I have no idea," Chandler replied, trying to make sense of what happened.

Meanwhile, Monica and Summer (otherwise known as Mega on the Zenith team) were walking through Central Park. Monica was elated that her efforts at trying to contact the team hadn't been a waste of time. Though she had to admit that Summer was probably here to get answers, not to forgive her. "So…how did you find me?"

"Jack said you lived in the Village. I tracked down your address, then one of your neighbors told me you went to that coffee house a lot," Summer answered, her tone icy.

"Why…"

"At first, I didn't believe Jack," Summer interrupted, carefully hiding the emotion in her face. "But then you didn't show up for a week. Then I got angry. It was true – you did lie to us."

"I didn't lie to you. I just…didn't tell you stuff," Monica defended.

Summer wasn't convinced. "Really, _Monica_?"

"Okay, you have a point there."

"We all got so upset. Cindy cried when she realized you wouldn't come back for a while. I was close to tears myself," Summer admitted. "Whether we wanted it or not, you became part of our team. We look up to you. Sometimes we even joke that you and Jack are our parents, and we're siblings. You take care of us, Mar…Monica. You cared about us when nobody else did." Taking a breath, Summer finished, "And then we found out you were so ashamed of us, you didn't want there to be any chance people in your _real_ life would find out about us."

Monica felt tears in her eyes, sure that she would break down in a matter of minutes. "Oh my God, Summer, no! It wasn't that!"

"Then you didn't trust us," Summer retorted. "You didn't trust that we wouldn't bust you."

Monica paused, realizing she was partly right about that. She then chose her next words very carefully. "Summer, you have to understand. I made up 'Marsha Holloway' _way_ before I met you and the team. Using it at…work was just second nature. It didn't even cross my mind to tell you my real name because I was so used to it."

"It's one thing if you didn't tell others at the Center. But, this is _us_. It should have occurred to you that there was something we didn't know," Summer deadpanned.

"It did," Monica confessed. "But...keeping secrets was another thing I was used to. I was planning on telling you at the right time. It takes me a while to get close to people, Summer. I just told Chandler about me, and I've known him for seven years!"

Summer wrinkled her brow. "Chandler?"

"My fiancé," Monica explained.

"Fiancé…" Summer marveled. "I…I just can't believe it."

"Imagine how he feels," Monica quipped.

Monica thought she saw a hint of a smile cross Summer's face. It disappeared quickly when the teen let out a deep breath. "Marsha...Monica, I mean…we miss you. A lot. I mean, everyone's mad at you and everything, but it's not the same. I'm sure you've seen our fights lately. We suck."

"It's not that bad," Monica comforted. Still, she felt a little guilty at the happiness she got from hearing she was missed. "I miss you guys too. A lot. Ask any of my friends, and they'll tell you I've been a moody bitch lately."

"I can't imagine you acting like that," Summer replied honestly. "Then again, it's weird seeing you without your glasses or lab coat. You really should ditch them."

"Well, I'm not allowed to dump the coat, but the glasses go in the garbage tomorrow," Monica promised.

Summer let out another breath. "He misses you, you know. And it's killing him that you have a fiancé."

"Well…I'm sorry about that, but I love Chandler," Monica responded with conviction. "But I do miss Jack. And all of you, and…I really want to come back. Volcano needs his ass whooped."

Summer chuckled. "I'll work on Jack."

"Really?" This time, tears did trickle down her cheek. Unable to restrain herself, she enveloped the reluctant teen in a hug. "Thank you."

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Chandler smiled to himself as he let himself into their apartment. Ever since Summer, "someone from work" (as Monica put it) came to the coffee house, Monica had been in the _best_ mood. Which meant that _he_ was in the best mood.

"Honey, I'm home!" Chandler called out, throwing his briefcase on the kitchen table. He loosened his tie as he made his way toward the bedroom.

There wasn't a response. "Monica?"

"Chandler! Don't come in here!"

Chandler paused at her voice. It sounded…off somehow. "Monica? Are you…oh my God!"

After going into the bedroom, he hadn't seen her at first. Then he looked up.

"I know, I know! I don't know how it happened!" Monica wailed. She was floating near the ceiling, waving her arms as if treading water.

Chandler couldn't suppress a laugh. "What'd you do, think happy little thoughts?"

"Shut up! This isn't funny! I don't know how to get down!" Monica yelled. Now she was flying, making her way around the room in an awkward circle.

"You know, I think Neverland is that way," Chandler quipped, mockingly pointing out the window.

Monica glared down at him, her hair tumbling downwards. "Shut _up_! Help me!"

"Wait…you mean this has never happened before?" Chandler asked, now more concerned than amused.

"No!" Monica cried. "I was just cleaning my closet….I couldn't get to the top shelf…I stood on my tip-toes, and next thing I know, well…look at me!" She got so frustrated that she kicked her foot. That motion sent her spinning.

"You got a new power? Huh, that's actually really cool," Chandler commented.

Moments later, the four others had rushed into the room. Ross asked, "What's going on? We heard the screaming from across the…oh my God! Mon, I know Peter Pan was your favorite movie when we were little, but isn't this a little much?"

"For the last time!" Monica shouted. "I have no clue what's going on!"

"Isn't it obvious? You got a new power! This is so cool!" Phoebe exclaimed.

Joey never glanced away from his airborne friend. "Yeah! It's kind of like when Clark Kent found out he could fly! Or…when Batman found his utility belt! Or when Wonder Woman found her…hoop thing..."

"Lasso of Truth," Ross supplied, then made an annoyed face when the others stared at him. "My _sister_ is flying, and you're looking at me?"

"Hello, a little help please?" Monica yelled.

Rachel put a hand on her hip. "How? You want one of us to fly up there and get you down? Where would we find the pixie dust?" She laughed, giving a high five to Chandler when he held out his hand.

"Not you too," Monica moaned.

Chandler thought for a moment. "Well, Monica, what do you tell the team when they're trying control their powers?"

"Um...I usually tell them to concentrate, focus their energy…" Monica trailed off. "Okay give me a minute." She closed her eyes, holding onto the far wall. Soon enough she began to slowly float back down. When her feet touched the carpet, she almost lost her balance.

Chandler rushed over to help her stand and walk over to the others. "You okay?"

"I just _defied gravity_. How do you think I feel?" Monica pouted.

Phoebe didn't make too much of an effort to hide her smile. "Like you left the world behind…Wendy?"

The others shared their own poorly hidden grins while Monica rolled her eyes.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

"Hey, Mon, do you know why one of my socks is smaller…." On his way out of the bedroom, Chandler paused. Monica was sitting on the couch watching the news. She had a tissue box in her hand and was using one to wipe her tears. He sat next to her and took her in his arms. "Honey, what's the matter?"

Monica pointed at the screen. It was another superhero fight, and the good guys were losing. "They need me, Chandler! Why won't they let me help them?"

"Just wait it out. They'll come around," Chandler assured her.

Monica winced as Jack was slammed against a building. "Oh my God!"

"That's gonna hurt in the morning," Chandler commented. "You know, you don't have to watch this."

Monica grabbed the remote before he could change the channel. "No! They could call me in any day now. I need to know what's going on."

"Yeah, but you don't need to know every little detail…" Chandler turned away when Volcano threw a fireball at one of the heroes.

Monica put her head in her hands. "I feel so helpless. It's downtown – I could be there in minutes!" She stood and began pacing the room. "In fact, I don't give a crap what Jack says. I'm getting changed and going down there right now!"

"No!" Chandler ran to prevent Monica from going to the bedroom. "I-I mean, you don't want to do that!"

"Why not?"

"Well, there's the fact that you can be killed," Chandler pointed out. "And that you don't exactly have a handle on your flying skills yet."

Monica flopped back on the couch. "I guess you're right. And it probably wouldn't help me get in good standing with the team if I just showed up."

"There you go. Now why don't we turn this off and go to bed, 'kay?" Chandler got the remote and pressed the "off" button.

Monica resolutely picked up the remote. "You know, Chandler, I don't think I'm going to be able to sleep tonight. I'll stay in here and watch TV."

"You sure you don't want company?" Chandler offered.

Monica got up to kiss him on the cheek. "Positive. 'Night Chandler."

"'Night honey. Don't worry about this too much, okay?" Chandler replied, kissing her back.

"I'll try." Monica waited until he had closed the door behind him. Then she went back to the TV. They were showing footage of Volcano. The villain had sent the police a tape of some hostages he had captured, and the heroes were having a hard time tracking him down.

As the tape played, Monica studied the background. She couldn't help but think that the room seemed familiar somehow. Keeping one eye on Volcano, she scanned the little bit of room she could see.

She gasped when she spotted a sign over the head of one of the hostages. She _knew_ that sign. It was off-white, with faded lettering that said, "Space intended for food storage only. Temperature will be kept at 30 degrees."

That was the warehouse the restaurant used to store extra ingredients! As head chef, she normally wouldn't have to get her own supplies. However, often on off days she would help load ingredients onto the trucks.

Thrilled, Monica jumped for the phone. She had to get this information to the team.

Strolling down the streets of midtown Manhattan, Rachel flashed Chandler a smile. "Thanks for lunch, sweetie. We really should do this more often."

"Yeah, but in all fairness it was either this or…spend my lunch hour banging my head on my desk, worrying about Monica," Chandler replied, his head down as he walked.

Rachel wrinkled her brow in concern. "Did something else happen with her and the…team?"

"Not really," Chandler answered. "But last night I caught her crying while she was watching a fight on the news. And it's killing me that I can't do a damn thing about it."

"That's how everyone feels, but what can we do? This is Monica's business, and only she can fix it," Rachel reasoned, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Chandler sighed. "That's just it, Rach. We're getting _married_. We're not supposed to have problems that only affect one of us. I _should_ be able to help her."

"None of this is your fault, Chandler, and it's wrong of you to think that," Rachel stated with conviction.

"I know, but this one question keeps popping up in my head, and it's driving me crazy. How…how could I not have _known_?" Chandler moaned, kicking a random rock on the sidewalk.

"Here's a little secret – the rest of us have been asking ourselves the same question," Rachel revealed, then lowered her voice. "How do you think Ross feels? His own sister's a _superhero_, for crying out loud, and he had no idea!"

Chandler nodded. "Yeah, but it's not just that. All those years she kept it from us…we could have helped her. And I keep thinking…how many times has she come back from 'work' totally annoyed and exhausted and we came over and bugged her for the next few hours? Or how must she have felt when we made a big deal over a stupid thing, and she's out there saving the world? Or –"

"Stop right there," Rachel interrupted. "You keep going on like that, you're going to drive yourself insane. Tell yourself that that's all in the past. We know _now_."

Chandler thought about her words as they walked. Finally after a block or so, he put an arm around her shoulders in a half-hug. "Thanks, Rach."

Rachel hugged him back, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Any time."

The continued on for a few blocks, on their way to Chandler's office since it was closer. At least, they would have continued if the police hadn't been blocking their route.

Police cones and barriers were placed around a large warehouse. Chandler instantly recognized the address, since Monica had told him what it was when she came to bed last night.

Rachel got as close to the barriers as the police would let her. "I wonder what's going on. You think maybe they're busting counterfeiting scheme or something?" She protested when Chandler yanked her back, then into an alley in between the warehouse and a pizzeria. Rachel put a hand on her hip. " Chandler! What the –"

Chandler held out a hand. "Quiet down, okay? That's the place where Volcano's holding hostages!"

"How do you know that?" Rachel demanded.

"Monica recognized it last night from the news. She said it's where the restaurant stores ingredients or something," Chandler explained. "Though I don't know why she would call the police instead of the team."

Rachel took out her cell phone. "Let's call and ask her then, shall we?"

"Oh…I don't know…" Chandler moaned. When Rachel looked at him, he explained, "Talk about the team is kind of a sore spot for her. I don't know if she'd want to be involved in this. Maybe that's why she called the police."

"There's only one way to find out." Despite his objections, Rachel pressed the speed dial button for Monica's apartment.

Chandler motioned for her to disconnect, then threw up his hands when Monica answered. Slashing his hand across his throat, he asked, "Does _this_ mean anything to you?"

"Sh!" Rachel hissed, then went back to the conversation. "Oh, hey Monica. Chandler and I have a question to ask you."

"No we don't!" Chandler shouted.

Rachel held out a hand. "Well, we we're standing outside a warehouse near Chandler's office…yes, that's the one…and we were wondering, did you call the police and let them know…you didn't? Then how…oh, I see…"

"See what? See what?" Chandler yelled.

"Will you excuse me a moment, please?" Rachel put her hand on the bottom half of the phone and explained to Chandler, "Monica didn't call the police – they must have tracked Volcano on their own. _She_ tried to call the Center, but the office was closed for the night, and none of the team members would pick up."

Chandler thought a moment, then asked, "Well, tell her she has to do _something_. The cops are getting their asses beaten over here, from what I saw."

Rachel relayed the message, and listened. Finally she put the call on speaker, so Monica's exasperated voice could be clearly heard. "I've been trying to contact the kids all day! The Center is still not taking my calls – remember, I'm suspended – and the team is off on other business! What the hell do you want me to do?"

Chandler and Rachel traded glances, each thinking the same thing. Reading the silence, Monica exclaimed, "No way! I am _not_ going out there!"

"Why not? You were ready to go out there and kick butt last night!" Chandler reminded her.

"But that was different!" Monica groaned. "The team's not there now! And remember my lack of flying power control? And that I'm not allowed to go? And…I can't do this alone!"

"That doesn't sound like the Monica I know," Chandler replied.

"Yeah, the Monica I knew proposed to her fiancé when she didn't think he would. The Monica I knew was ready to _have a baby_ on her own when she broke up with her boyfriend," Rachel put in. "The Monica I knew came out to live in the city in her grandmother's apartment, when she didn't know _anybody_. This saving the world stuff? This should be a piece of cake."

"But…"

Chandler let out a breath. "Look Mon, argue all you want to, but what it all boils down to is that…if someone doesn't get out here, innocent people could die."

There was silence, then, "I'll be there in a few minutes."

After hanging up, Rachel and Chandler ran out of the alley to start scanning the sky for Monica. While it was true that she hadn't really mastered her flying power yet, all three had agreed it would be faster than driving. Still, Chandler couldn't help but feel it was weird to be watching for where his future wife would be _flying_ in.

Meanwhile, the fight between Volcano and the cops was intensifying. Not able to wait any longer, the police had burst into the building. The fight had spilled out into the street, so much that pedestrians were warned not to walk down the block at all. Rachel and Chandler only managed to stay semi-close to the action by hiding in another alley

Something caught Chandler's eye. At first he thought it was a plane or something, but then it plunged downward and barely recovered. "Hey, Rach – it's a bird, it's a plane…it's my fiancé."

Rachel winced as Monica almost crashed into a building. "Yeah, I know we said flying might be faster, but maybe it wasn't the safest choice."

After a few minutes, Monica landed in the alleyway between her friends. "Hey guys. Check me out, I'm a flying machine!"

"What are you doing here?" Chandler whispered. "Get in there!"

"What if somebody saw you?" Rachel panicked.

Monica lowered her voice. "Guys, it's ok, no one saw me. The question is, what are you doing _here_? It's not safe! I came down to fly you out."

Chandler shook his head. "Honey, forget about us, we'll get out on our own. They need you."

Rachel pushed her towards the sidewalk. "Come on, go!"

"Okay, okay!" Before leaving, however, Monica pushed Chandler against the side of the alley and gave him a passionate kiss.

Chandler's eyes widened. "What was that for?"

"Just because," Monica smiled.

For the first time, Chandler noticed her jumpsuit, and the way it accentuated her curves. "Hey, Mon…are you allowed to wear that, you know, when you're not saving the world?"

Monica raised an eyebrow. "Really? A superhero costume?"

"I think it stems from my crush on Wonder Woman when I was like twelve," Chandler explained, hanging his head in shame.

"I'll see what I can do," Monica laughed.

Rachel cringed. "Ok, _Hurricane_, I think you should get out there now, cause there's tons of news crews out there."

"I can see the headline now – 'Superhero Caught Making Out With Random Guy'…actually, that'd be really cool," Chandler grinned.

"For you, maybe." Monica gave him one last kiss, then took off into the air. "See you two later!"

While Rachel stared in awe, Chandler muttered, "I don't think I'm ever gonna get used to that."

Minutes later, the two were picking their way down the street towards Chandler's office building. It was like a war zone. Monica was doing the best she could, but without the rest of the team, Volcano was still getting the upper hand. Between the policemen's gunshots and the blasts from the lava, Rachel and Chandler were barely staying alive.

After dodging a falling store awning, Chandler spied two men thrown at least a few yards by a six-year-old. "Hey, the rest of the team's here!"

"It's about time," Rachel huffed, avoiding a fresh hole in the street tar.

Chandler stopped moving forward to look at the action. "Do you think they forgave Monica?"

"Right now, I think you'd better _move_." Rachel yanked him back just as a piece of concrete landed where he was standing.

They surged forward, leaping over downed street lights and power lines. Rachel let out an ear piercing scream when a skyscraper beam crashed to the ground, blocking their path. "Oh my God!"

"It's okay, don't panic…" Chandler wasn't sure if he was talking to himself or Rachel. "We'll just turn around and –" He was cut off by lava blast that whizzed by. "Or, you know, staying right here's always good."

"Are you crazy?" Rachel shrieked, then noticed lava coming straight at her. She shut her eyes. _So this is how I'm going to die. _

The blast never came. When she opened her eyes, she was around the corner, out of harm's way. Chandler was next to her, also shaken. Rachel gasped, realizing that she had been holding her breath. "What the hell happened?"

Chandler glanced around. "I-I…don't know…" He froze when he saw Jack, a.k.a. Zoom, standing about a yard away from them. He tugged on Rachel's sleeve.

" Chandler, what is it…oh my God," Rachel gasped. Not ever having met Jack before, she was simply in awe of being saved by the famed superhero. "Um, wow. T-thank you so much, I –"

Jack ignored her, pulling Chandler to the side, our of Rachel's ear shot. "How is she?"

Still in shock, Chandler stuttered, "W-what?"

"Hurricane," Jack explained, as if it should have been obvious. "How is she?"

Chandler cleared his throat. "She's…fine. She's doing fine."

"Really?" Jack asked, his face a mixture of concern and sadness.

Chandler sighed. "No. She'd kill me if she knew I told you this…though I probably shouldn't be joking about that since she actually can kill me with her bare hands…but she's absolutely miserable. She's been so depressed. We've all been really worried about her."

"We?" Jack asked.

"Her brother and three of our friends, including Rachel back there…who have no idea why she's so upset," Chandler quickly lied. "Just, please, let her back on the team."

Jack hesitated. "I'm thinking about it. The others are really missing her. It's just…it's not easy to forgive her. I'm not going to be able to trust her again for a long time."

"And that's perfectly understandable. But you have to admit, she's kicking butt out there," Chandler pointed out.

Rachel had inched closer to them, unable to resist the temptation to eavesdrop. Now she blurted, "Yeah, you need Monica!"

Jack stared at her. "What was that?"

"Oh, I meant, you need…" Rachel put a hand over her mouth, realizing what she'd done. "Nope , no way to recover, is there?"

"I can't believe this! Who else did she tell?" Jack demanded.

Chandler panicked. He was a terrible liar, but he _couldn't_ let Jack know that Monica told the rest of the six. "N-no one."

"She only told me because I saw her using her power!" Rachel defended.

Jack glared at them. "She told me she wanted to tell her brother. You really want me to believe she didn't tell him too?"

"I…I…" Chandler stammered.

Jack's eyes widened. "Those other people you mentioned. Dear God…they know, don't they?"

Chandler would have protested, if he didn't know it would be useless. "Yes."

" Chandler!" Rachel chided, glaring at him.

"Does she not _want_ to be on the team ever again?" Jack shouted. "What the hell is wrong with her? She doesn't tell _us_ about her identity, then she goes and tells all of you? What the hell was going through her mind?"

Thoughts raced through Chandler's mind. He had to defend his fiancé. She was already going to be pissed at him when he told her about this. "Zoom, think about how Monica felt through all this, okay? First she has to conceal her identity to everyone for safety reasons. Then the team finds out, and she's booted out of the superhero business. She feels like crap, but she has to keep it all to herself because no one else knows about it. Finally, the others gang up on her, demanding an explanation. She would have kept the secret…she just felt that she already lost you guys. She didn't want to lose her friends too."

Jack looked at their pleading faces for a long moment. "Well, no matter what the reason, she still betrayed her identity to _five_ other people. Keeping one's identity secret is one of the most important aspects of being a superhero. I…I think I might have to cut her from the team, permanently."

With that, he super-speeded back into the fight. Rachel and Chandler stood among the chaos, unable to suppress the overwhelming feelings of depression and guilt.


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: I finally got my computer back from Dell, and it works! Yea! (Dell still really sucks though. My laptop broke down after barely two months, and it took them about a month to get around to fixing it) It's connected to the Internet and everything! Expect more updates. In fact, I think I'm almost done with this story – maybe two or three more chapters and an epilogue. I'm also considering a sequel where 16-year-olds Jack and Erica find out about their Mom's secret.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"I can't do this."

Chandler put both hands on his fiance's shoulders. "Yes, you can. You're the legendary superhero Hurricane, who's saved the world at least a dozen times over. I think you can handle your parents."

"I don't know about legendary...": Monica replied with fake modesty, a small grin on her face.

"Come on, Mon," Chandler pleaded. "What's the worst that can happen? They totally freak out, go ballistic, get really mad, say they don't love you anymore..." He trailed off at the scared look that came over Monica's face. "Okay, I'm really bad at this. Explain again why Ross isn't here with you instead?"

Monica rolled her eyes. "Because I want you! I mean, my parents love you! And if Ross was here, I'd be struggling for attention the whole time. When I tell them I'm a superhero, I don't want them to automatically think about how it affects Ross."

"How could they possibly think about -"

"'Oh my God, Ross you poor thing, having to find out that your sister didn't trust you,'" Monica interrupted, mimicking her mother.

Chandler nodded. "Point taken. Look, honey, it won't be that bad."

"How do you know that?" Monica demanded.

"Because I know your parents," Chandler retorted. "Yeah, they favor Ross sometimes, but you know they love you!"

"My mom loves it when she finds reasons I'm not a good daughter," Monica retorted, "This'll make her ecstatic."

Chandler sighed. "For the last time, Mon, there's nothing wrong with saving lives and taking down bad guys."

"That's not it," Monica replied, "Chandler...I didn't tell my own parents that I'm a superhero. I think they might be a little angry about that. Plus the fact that the rest of the gang, including Ross, knew before them?"

Chandler paused, staring at her. "Yeah, there you might be a little screwed. But, you know what, they're your parents. Suck it up and tell them."

Monica considered his words, then let out a breath. 'Okay."

Chandler gave her a reassuring hug. "All right, so let's go."

"Right behind you, sweetie." However, when he went to ring the doorbell, she turned to bolt back to the Porsche.

Chandler grabbed her arm. "Get back here!"

With Chandler's persistent urging, she rang the doorbell.

"Monica, Chandler, come in!" Judy Geller exclaimed, ushering her daughter and future son-in-law into the living room. "You've been standing out there so long! Monica, why did you try to go back to the car?"

Monica blushed. "Sorry, Mom. I, ah...thought I forgot my car keys, but then Chandler reminded me they were in my pocket."

"Oh. Well, please, have a seat. Chandler, how's your job?" Judy asked. Monica and Chandler took seats next to each other on one couch, while she sat on the opposite couch.

Chandler gave her an uneasy smile. "Same as always."

"Oh, that's good..." Judy replied.

"Not really," Chandler muttered.

Sensing the tension in the room, Judy called into the kitchen, "Jack! Monica and Chandler are here!"

"I'm coming, Judy!" Jack entered the living room. While greeting the two guests, Jack explained, "Sorry about the delay, kids. Here's a tip - don't use the bathroom for the next half hour or so."

"Thanks, Dad," Monica sighed.

Jack shrugged. "What? I'm just saying!"

"So, what brings you two here? When Monica called to say she wanted to come over, I think I nearly had a heart attack," Judy inquired, while Jack took a seat next to her.

Monica traded looks with Chandler. "Well, nothing really important...just thought I'd stop by..."

"Monica, we know," Judy interrupted.

Monica's eyes widened. "W-what?"

"Ross called us," Judy continued, "He said you've been so depressed lately..."

"I'm going to kill him," Monica murmured under her breath.

"Honey, there's nothing to be ashamed of," Jack put in. "In fact, we'll even pay for your therapist."

Monica blinked. "Hold on...a therapist?"

"Well, Ross said how depressed you are, we just figured you were coming over to tell us about your condition," Judy explained.

Monica put her head in her hands This could not be going any worse, she thought. "Oh, God."

"No, no no no no no," Chandler added. "Monica is not depressed. She wants to tell you something totally differnt."

Judy let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, that's good. For a while there we thought it was something serious."

Monica just sat there for a moment. "You know what, it's not that important. It can wait. In fact...you really don't need to know at all..."

"Monica," Chandler whispered, taking her hand in his. "You can do this."

She squeezed back, loosening her grip when she saw him wince in pain. "Mom, Dad, there's been something I've been hiding from you for a long time, ever since I was a teenager..."

Judy put a hand over her mouth, horrified. "You're not a...lesbian, are you?"

"What? No! Mom, how could you..." Monica huffed, annoyed. "This is something else. Something much more...unbelievable. So I'm just going to ask you to please, please have an open mind. And, just so you don't have to think about it - yes, Ross has known, but only for a few weeks."

"Known what?" Jack pressed.

Monica glanced one last time at her fiance, then breathed, "That I'm a superhero. Mom, Dad..._I'm_ Hurricane."

"Monica, I don't know what you're trying to pull here, but I'm not amused. First you get us all worked up, and then you go and pull this nonsense?" Judy retorted, angry.

"Mom, I'm not trying to pull anything," Monica assured her. "I swear! I have powers, I fight crime, I wear the tight supersuit, I'm on the Zenith team...for the most part."

Jack put an arm around his wife, who was getting more and more irritated. "Sweetheart, it was fine to play pretend like this when you were five, when you told everyone you were a professional chef, but let's face it, you're not five anymore."

"I know that, Dad. That's why you have to believe that I'm being serious. I do have powers." Monica paused, unsure of where to go from there. She had been focusing on just telling them for so long, that it didn't even occur to her that she would have to prove what she was saying.

Judy got up from the couch. "I can't listen to this anymore."

"Mom, wait!" Seeing no other option, Monica stood and blew the door to the kitchen shut.

Judy froze, then turned to face her daughter. "How in the world..."

Chandler tugged on Monica's arm. "Honey, maybe you should sit down."

Monica didn't listen. Instead, she sent a strong breeze through the room. The curtains flew open, and loose papers fell to the floor. Judy had to put a hand on her hair to prevent it from becoming undone. "That's one of my powers."

Jack stared at her. "You have _more_?"

"Just one more, and I only found out I had it last week," Monica answered.

Chandler stood up next to her. "Uh, honey? I don't know if you should show them that one just yet..."

"Chandler, I'm letting it all out. No more secrets." Monica closed her eyes and concentrated. Slowly but surely, she levitated a few feet off the floor, until her head was hitting the ceiling. After a few seconds, she touched ground again. She then waited for her parents' reaction,

Unable to support herself, Judy sat down next to her husband. "Oh my God...I can't believe this."

"Neither can I." Jack looked at his daughter with pure amazement. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Monica lowered her eyes. "Because I was afraid you'd stare at me like I was some sort of freak. Like you're doing right now."

"Excuse me." Judy jumped up from the couch and dashed into the kitchen.

Monica got up as well. "Maybe I should..."

"Let her go, honey," Jack told her, then patted the seat next to him. When Monica sat, he took her hands in his. "You have to understand this is a little hard to us to take. You've been our little Harmonica for so long...it's going to take a while before we associate you with a crime fighting superhero. One that gets beat up by huge guys every week."

"I don't always get beat up. I beat up a lot of guys, too," Monica defended.

Jack paused. "Dear God, I didn't even think about that."

Monica and Chandler exchanged exasperated glances. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Phoebe let herself into apartment 19. She stopped, surprised at the scene in front of her. And after seeing Monica fly, she didn't think anything would startle her ever again. "What the..."

"Hey Pheebs!" Joey greeted. Once again, he was sitting on the couch reading one of the comic books.

What had stunned Phoebe was that Rachel was sitting on the recliner, equally engrossed in the comics. She didn't even glance up. "Hey."

"You know Rachel, just because you're a woman thirty-year-old reading comics, doesn't make it any less pathetic," Phoebe remarked, referring to Rachel's joke about the Superman convention.

A brief look of guilt crossed Rachel's face. "I think I made a snap judgment there. But, you know, I gave them a chance, and I gotta tell ya...comic books are cool!"

"Yeah they are! Rach, maybe later we can play Playstation!" Joey exclaimed.

"Sure, that sounds..." Rachel paused, staring at him. "You're turning me into Chandler, aren't you?"

"No..." Joey responded, but quickly broke eye contact.

Shaking her head, Rachel asked Phoebe, who had taken a seat on the island, "Speaking of which, how's it going with him and Monica at her parents' house?"

"I don't know," Phoebe shrugged. She and Monica had set up a plan where Phoebe would call every once in a while to give Monica an excuse to leave the table. "I called her twice, but she didn't pick up. I'm a little worried."

"She's fine. She can handle this." Rachel wasn't positive if she was reassuring herself or Phoebe.

"Yeah! They're probably talking, eating dinner..." Joey trailed off, reminded that he didn't have his own dinner yet. "I'm ordering a pizza. You guys want some?"

The girls said yes, then went back to their conversation while he got the phone. Rachel let out a deep sigh. "Ross went with them, right?"

"No," Phoebe corrected. "Just them two."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's interesting."

"Monica had her reasons," Phoebe figured.

Tilting her head, a small amused smile crossed Rachel's face. "I bet it's driving Ross nuts that Monica didn't ask him."

"He is," Phoebe informed her, also grinning. "He was over there when they were leaving, still trying to convince Monica that he should go. I think he wants to see his parents' reactions more than anything else."

"I bet he had his camera set up and everything," Rachel laughed. She then became more serious with worry. "I hope everything goes all right. Monica was pretty stressed today."

"It can't make her any more stressed than she already was," Phoebe observed.

Rachel frowned. "That's true. I just feel so _bad_. Chandler was telling me that he can't stand not being able to help her, and I have to say I know the feeling."

"Yeah! I can tell how upset and frustrated she is all the time...it's kind of wearing me down," Phoebe admitted.

"Okay, pizza should be here a half hour or less," Joey announced, resuming his place on the couch. The phone in his hand rang, and he glared at it. "Don't tell me they forgot the address! They should know it by now."

Phoebe grabbed it from him, getting the feeling that it wasn't the pizza place. "Hello? Monica! Hold on, Rachel and Joey are here; let me put you on speaker."

Monica's voice filtered through the room. "Phoebe! Why weren't you at your place?"

"Because I was here," Phoebe answered.

Rachel rolled her eyes, then called, "Hey, Mon! How are you holding up?"

"How am I holding up? _How am I holding up?_" Monica nearly screamed. "I'm freaking out over here! It was a total disaster. My father keeps asking me how I know how to fight so well, and my mother...she's actually wondering why I'm only a back up superhero! And they're both really hurt that I didn't tell them until now!"

"Aw, honey," Rachel breathed. "Though I have to admit, that does sound like them."

After a moment, Joey asked, "How _do_ you know how to fight so well?"

"Oh my God!" Monica shrieked. "This is not helping! What do I do? I can't take much more of this, and we haven't even finished dinner yet!"

"Mon, what you do is stay and answer all your questions. Get it over with, then get the hell out of there," Phoebe suggested.

Monica sighed. "That's what I was planning on doing! But do I really have to wait and answer their questions?"

"You know what, she's right," Rachel put in. "Stick around, let them say what they want to say. Then let them think about it for a while, wait for them to call you."

"But call them before it gets to like a month and you still haven't spoken," Rachel added.

There was silence, then Monica cleared her throat. "Let me ask you this. Have either of you ever told your parents you were a superhero?

"No..." Rachel and Phoebe responded.

"Didn't think so," Monica huffed. "I'll deal with this my way, thank you very much." Then she hung up the receiver with a definitive click.

"Wow," Joey muttered. "Poor Mon."

"Yeah, I've never heard her voice so panicked like that," Rachel breathed.

Phoebe thought for a second, then asked, "You know what I just thought of? Wouldn't her parents already know about the possibility that she could have powers, or have powers themselves? Isn't that kind of thing usually inherited?"

"Well, in past comic books, some people touched radioactive stuff, or were aliens," Joey suggested. "I mean, can we really be sure that Monica's human? Or hasn't come in contact with radioactive waste?"

The girls stared at him, and Rachel protested, "Joey! Don't be ridiculous! Of course Monica's human! That's the stupidest thing I ever…" She paused, her eyes widening. "…oh, God."

"It has to be one or the other, and she could have kept it a secret from us. We weren't so smart about catching on to her superhero side," Phoebe pointed out.

"No!' Rachel shook her head. "It's not possible. End of story."

"But -" Joey began.

Rachel cut him off. "No buts! That's it! The only way we'd know for sure is if we asked Monica, and I'm not about to go up to my best friend and ask her if she's human! We're never talking about this again, okay?"

There was a minute of silence, then Joey worked up the courage to argue, "But I don't know any humans that can fly…"

Rachel glared at him. "Shut up, Joey."

"Okay."


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

A/N: Not that it matters, _at all_, but in an earlier chapter I said that Summer was _Mega_ on the team. She's actually Wonder – Tucker is Mega Boy. I know this was sort of random, but I was rereading some stuff and noticed it.

* * *

Chandler held on to his fiancé, who was stumbling up the stairs. He felt her shaking, and the knuckles that were gripping the railing were white. "Honey, my offer still stands."

"I don't need you to carry me, okay?" Monica huffed, putting one determined foot in front of the other. "I can climb stairs by myself."

"If you say so," Chandler muttered, raising an eyebrow as she nearly tripped.

Monica glared at him. "I'm fine, really. Just a little stressed."

"A little…" Chandler sighed, deciding that it was best not to get her even more upset. "Never mind. Come on; we're almost there."

"It's times like these I wish my grandmother got an apartment on a lower floor. Wouldn't it be great if our apartment number was like, 5?" Monica rambled, keeping her concentration on the task at hand.

"Yeah…" Chandler smiled, then sighed when she became lost in thought. "Monica, for the last time, they'll get over it."

Monica paused, then sat down on the top of the stair case. "I know…at least, I think so. I just keep thinking that to them, this is the last straw. I've finally messed up so bad that they're going to…disown me or something."

"You know that's not going to happen," Chandler reassured her, sitting next to her on the stair. "They'll come around. Yeah, today was pretty bad, but they were in shock. Watch, by next week they'll call and invite you to lunch."

Monica gave a half-hearted laugh. "Yeah, right. My mom never invites me to lunch."

"You know what I meant," Chandler replied.

Leaning on his shoulder, Monica admitted, "I was so scared today. Just with the way they were looking at me, like I was the most horrible person in the world. And I feel like it, to tell you the truth. They have every right to be mad at me."

"Well, yes, they were mad," Chandler acknowledged, putting an arm around her shoulder. "But if it helps, I think, when we were about to leave, they were kind of…proud of you."

"I thought I saw that too, but I didn't want to get my hopes up," Monica breathed.

After a few moments of silence, Chandler kissed the top of her head. He stood, then held out a hand for her to grab. "You ready to tackle the Mount Everest that is the last two flights?"

Monica took his hand. "Oh yeah."

The two managed to reach apartment 20 within a reasonable amount of time. They were immediately bombarded by Phoebe, Rachel, Joey, and Ross (who had come over later), all demanding to know how it went..

"How did Mom and Dad take it…" Ross began, then noticed his sister was holding onto the wall. "That bad, huh?"

"Look, guys, can you come over later? Monica wants to rest," Chandler pleaded.

Monica put a hand on his arm. "Honey, why don't you go into Joey's apartment and explain everything? I'll catch up with you later."

"No way that's gonna happen. Come on, I'll help you into bed." Chandler knew she wanted some peace and quiet, but he wouldn't feel at peace until he knew she was in bed.

"No, Chandler," Monica insisted. "I promise you can take care of me later. But right now I need to be alone for a while."

"But…" Chandler trailed off, knowing he wasn't going to win this one. Reluctantly, he kissed her on the cheek and turned to go into the other apartment. "Get some rest, okay?"

The others gave their various forms of "feel better" and "talk to you later." When the hallway was empty, Monica let herself into the apartment.

Only she still wasn't alone. Stifling the scream she felt in her throat, Monica quickly closed the door behind her. "How did you get in here?"

Jack Shepard stood in the kitchen, leaning on the back of the couch. "Hello, Monica. Where have you been? Telling more people about us?"

"No! I was…" Monica paused, realizing that she _had_ just been telling two more people about her identity. "I was visiting my parents, not that it's any of your business. What are you doing here?"

Jack got up from the couch back so he was standing straight. "We have something you need to know."

"Wh…" About to retort, Monica stopped as his words sank in. "We?"

From the shadows of the dark living room, Summer Jones (Wonder) and Dylan West (Houdini) came to stand on either side of Jack. Backing up a little, Monica stammered, "W-what's going on?"

Summer couldn't quite make eye contact. "Monica…I'm so sorry. I tried, I really did."

"What's going on?" Monica repeated, her fear and panic rising.

Dylan stepped forward, anger in his face. "We know that you told your friends and brother about your identity, even after we suspended you from the team for telling Chandler and keeping secrets from us. It wasn't the greatest timing – we had almost thought you had learned your lesson and were about to let you back on the team."

"About to?" Monica echoed. "You're not here to tell me I'm not suspended anymore, are you?"

Jack sighed, his tone full of sorrow and sympathy. "No. After finding out about you telling everyone, we didn't have a choice but to…"

"No!" Monica gasped, knowing where he was going.

"Cut you from the team. Permanently," Jack finished. He had winced at Monica's gasp, and had lowered his head, unable to even look at her. Summer looked like she was about to cry, and Dylan maintained a stony façade.

"Jack, no!" Monica protested, nearly shouting. "You can't do that! What makes you think I told the others?"

"I rescued Chandler, and your friend Rachel, the other day. They had been on the way back to his office when they got caught in the crossfire of one of our fights with Volcano. After I saved them, I pulled Chandler aside to ask him about you…and Rachel let slip that she knew," Jack informed her, then added bitterly, "I believe that was when you disobeyed my orders again and came to a fight."

Monica just stared at them, too shocked to say anything. Finally, she cleared her throat. "I'm so sorry, to all of you. I-I guess there's really no excuse, but in my defense I only told my friends because they found out on their own, then cornered me…that doesn't really help my case, does it? But if it helps, they have no idea who you are – I always refer to you by your superhero name. Well, Chandler knows about you, Jack, since that first time you came to the apartment…but you knew that."

"That doesn't matter. We've all been able to keep out identities secret from our friends," Dylan remarked.

Monica put a hand on her hip. "That's because to you, they're just friends. To me, they're my family, my life. Without them, I'd be absolutely crushed…more so than not being on the team, in fact. I had to chose between my job, and them, and I chose them. And I'm not ashamed of it. So if you're waiting for me to get on my knees and beg forgiveness, you might as well get out of my apartment 'cause it isn't gonna happen."

"Monica, please, don't take this personally…" Jack began, walking towards her.

"I don't care." Monica stomped to the door and whipped it open, willing the welling tears to stay in her eyes. "Get out."

* * *

"Hey Chandler, is Monica here yet?" Ross walked into his sister's apartment without knocking, per usual.

On the couch watching TV, Chandler turned off the volume and looked at Ross. "No, she took the late shift at work. Why?"

Ross hesitated. "Do you mean, work at the restaurant, or…the other work."

"Work at the restaurant. Since she doesn't know how long she'll be suspended, she let management upgrade her to full time," Chandler informed him, switching off the TV all together and joining Ross in the kitchen. "What's up, man? You look a little worried."

Ross sat down at the table, massaging his temple. "I'm more than a little worried. Haven't you noticed Monica's getting worse?"

"I know what you mean," Chandler agreed, taking a seat as well. "Ever since we got home from her parents' house a week ago, she's been completely depressed. I'm trying to do everything I can to get her to talk to me, but she won't open up."

Sighing, Ross reasoned, "Something else must have happened. I know Monica – she wouldn't let an incident with our parents rattle her this much."

"Well, there's nothing I can think of," Chandler shrugged. "Maybe telling her parents just reminded her of how she was really missing the team…"

"I don't know, but whatever it is, she's kept it to herself long enough. I'm going to find out tonight," Ross promised.

Chandler smirked. "You came over here to interrogate my fiancé? Do you want me to play good cop, officer Geller?"

Ross rolled his eyes. They talked for the next few minutes, then Rachel, Joey, and Phoebe barged in. "She here yet?" Rachel asked, joining the guys at the table.

Glancing at Ross, Chandler raised an eyebrow. "Did you think she wouldn't come quietly or something?"

"Just thought I could use a little back up." Realizing he was only helping Chandler's joke, Ross huffed, "Shut up. You of all people should know how stubborn she can be. You're engaged to her."

"Though this is my _first_ time being engaged. Say Ross, does getting to know someone become easier the second or third time?" Chandler retorted.

Ross was about to snap back, but the door banged open, and Monica stormed in. "_This_ is why I became a superhero! So I wouldn't have to deal with idiotic people who don't know how to run a business?"

"Hey honey, how was work?" Chandler quipped, kissing her in greeting.

Kissing him back, Monica noticed for the first time that her friends were in the room. "Hi everyone."

"Mon, we need to talk," Ross began, indicating her to take the last available seat at the kitchen table.

Confused, Monica did so. "Sure, what's up?"

"Sweetie, we're worried about you…again," Rachel replied. "For about a week you've been so…"

"Bitchy?" Monica snapped.

That hadn't been the word Rachel was about to use, but she'd been thinking it. "Some might say bitchy, I'd say…ok, yeah, bitchy."

"What she means is, you haven't been yourself," Phoebe clarified.

Joey leaned forward in his seat opposite her. "Come on, you know you can tell us anything. What's the matter?"

"Nothing! Nothing's wrong! It's just…can't a girl have her time of the month in peace?" Monica lied, jumping up from the table.

While the guys backed off, as she thought they would, Rachel and Phoebe followed her into the living room. "You, missy, do not have your period!" Phoebe exclaimed. "I lent you a pad at the bathroom at Central Perk only two weeks ago!"

Back in the kitchen, Chandler commented to Joey and Ross, "_Clearly_, this has become a testosterone-free conversation. You guys up for coffee?"

"She's not getting away that easily. I lived with her when we were teenagers – I've been to hell and back!" Ross retorted, getting up from the table and joining the girls. "All right, Monica! What's going on with you?"

'I got fired, okay?" Monica spat, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm not a superhero anymore! Jack was waiting for me in the apartment when we got back from Mom and Dad's house. He told me there was no way they could trust me again, because he found out that I told _all of you_!" Not seeing the guilty glances Rachel and Chandler shared, she flopped down on the couch. "Now you know! I'm a horrible person who can't be trusted! There – you happy?"

"No, of course not," Joey responded, sitting next to her and wrapping her in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Mon."

Chandler sat on Monica's other side, and took her in his arms when Joey let go. "Me too, and you are not a horrible person. Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because…because I was humiliated, okay? I couldn't keep my big mouth shut. I thought…you'd all be disappointed in me or something. I don't know," Monica sobbed, burying her face into Chandler's shoulder.

"What? That's crazy," Rachel assured her.

Sitting on the coffee table, Ross put a hand on his sister's knee. "Yeah, how could you even think that we'd want you to go through this alone? I thought we all had kind of a silent agreement that we could tell each other anything."

"Yeah, but…I think I've just gotten used to keeping everything to myself," Monica admitted.

Chandler hugged her tighter. "Honey, I hate to tell you, but that's one habit you're gonna have to break."

* * *

Days later, Monica stopped at her apartment during her lunch. The restaurant was so hectic that she'd needed to get out of there, if just for an hour. She had to admit, however, that life as an ordinary civilian was much easier, and safer, than fighting crime. It was nice to be normal for a change.

Though, she had levitated to reach a pan in a high cabinet when nobody was looking. She'd made a mental note to relearn how to use a stepladder.

She sighed as she entered her apartment to find Joey at the kitchen table. "You know, I wish I could remember a time when I walked into my own apartment when there wasn't someone in it already."

"Hey Mon," Joey replied, unfazed. He was using Chandler's laptop, and had barely glanced up when Monica walked in.

Monica glanced at the laptop screen while she grabbed a soda from the fridge. She wrinkled her brow in confusion when she saw that Joey was on eBay. In truth, she was a little surprised Joey knew how to use eBay. "Okay, so I have a couple of questions. One – what are you buying that you need eBay. And two – did Chandler say you could use his computer?"

"I'm curious to see how much the Zoom comic books are worth," Joey explained, "And, ah, to answer your second question…can we keep this little internet session between us?"

Laughing, Monica sat down next to Joey and popped open the soda can. "Okay, but why do you want to know the value of the comics? If you're low on cash, Chandler and I could always lend you some."

"I don't really need it. Like I said, I was curious. There was this thing on TV about how some comics can sell for big bucks," Joey informed her.

Monica's eyes widened as Joey searched for some of the titles in the Zoom collection. "Wow! That's a lot! Maybe I should have given them to you!"

"You want them back?" Joey asked. "I mean, they are kinda yours – you collected 'em."

"No, it's ok, I was kidding," Monica assured him.

The two browsed the internet for a few minutes, then a pop-up ad for Superman comics reminded Joey of something. "Um, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"

"Depends on what it is," Monica answered.

"Okay, well, a while ago Phoebe, Rachel and I were talking about how most superheroes either came in contact with some chemical or…weren't human," Joey started, somewhat hesitant. "And we couldn't help but wonder what your story was."

"Oh," Monica cleared her throat. "Well, there isn't really an explanation for my powers. I talked with my parents about it, once they recovered from the shock. I'm definitely human, no doubt about that. Many of my relatives were there in the hospital the day I was born."

Joey let out a breath. "Whew, that's a relief. For a while there I thought that one of my best friends could be an alien…though, I gotta admit that would've been pretty cool."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but apparently it's inherited. My father called up his mother to check, and she said how my grandmother had powers too, the same ones I have in fact," Monica explained.

Joey stared at her. "Does that mean that Ross could…"

"No," Monica assured him. "My grandmother said that it's only girls, and even then it often skips generations – very few women in my family have it. No one has any idea how or why it's in our family; it's one of those things that's been there forever and nobody questions it."

"Whoa, that's awesome. I wish I had a family secret," Joey pouted.

"Maybe you do, and you haven't been told it yet," Monica joked, then held back a chuckle at Joey's panicked expression. Patting him on the shoulder, she carried the soda can in one hand as she went over to her answering machine. "Joey, did anyone call?

"Not while I've been here," Joey replied.

The small screen indicated that there was one message. Monica pressed the button. "'Hello, Hurricane. Or should I say, Monica Geller'" Monica gasped, on her way to becoming terrified. "'I'm sure you recognize my voice; we've come in contact on many occasions. But in case you were too busy fighting me to notice, it's Volcano."

At that, Joey leaped out of his seat and was by her side in a manner of seconds. "That's…that's…"

Monica shushed him, wanting to catch every word.

"'Now, please take note that I know your true identity, and you do not know mine. You're probably wonder how that is possible. You see, Monica, it's actually a little ironic of how I stumbled upon this highly valuable information. After months of trying to figure out the identity of at least one of the Zoom members, I was going nowhere fast. Then, I happen to check the security tapes from the warehouse I had been using. And guess what they catch? That's right – Hurricane, flying into an alley across the street to meet two civilians. It was only a matter of using the right tools to use that footage to track you down.'"

"'I trust you realize the dangers of a super villain such as myself knowing your identity. And I'm afraid that for you, one of those dangers has become a reality. At precisely midnight tonight, a limo will pull up to the building for you. If you do not get in and go wherever the driver takes you, my newest captive Chandler Bing will be fatally shot the minute the chauffer calls to inform me of your absence. The choice is yours, Monica – your powers, or your fiancé. See you at midnight…at least Chandler hopes to.'"

Monica fainted before the automated voice could say, "You have no more messages."


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

A/.N: Just to cover my butt for any weirdness and/or inconsistencies last chapter, I'd like to mention that I wrote the last two scenes of Chapter 6 between 11 pm and 3 am one night. I believe I posted the chapter sometime around 3:15 in the morning, so sorry if it seemed a little…off.

* * *

"Chandler was _kidnapped_? By a super villain?" Ross exclaimed.

Phoebe, Rachel, and Ross had rushed to the apartment after Joey called them in a panic. Now they were seated around the living room, trying to believe the unbelievable. Recovering from her faint on the couch, Monica managed a weak nod. "Volcano, he left a message. Hear it for yourself."

Sitting closest to the answering machine, Joey pressed play. All were deathly silent as the message played.

"Oh my God!" Rachel wailed. "Mon, you have to call the police!"

"And have Chandler shot before they even get there? Volcano has contacts; it'd be easy for him to tell if we called the cops," Monica snapped. 'Besides, I doubt the cops would be able to deal with fire-throwing henchmen."

Putting a reassuring hand on Monica's shoulder, Phoebe almost whispered, "Um, when he said to choose between your powers and your husband…?"

"Chandler, duh!" Monica spat.

Removing her hand as if it were on fire, Phoebe assured her, "Okay, just checking."

"What are you going to do?" Rachel asked quietly after a minute.

Joey picked up a nearby Zoom comic book. When Monica shook her head in protest, Joey insisted, "You have to. This is Chandler we're talking about. I don't care about whatever stupid fight you and the team are having. They're the only ones who can handle this."

The others stared at him, startled by his demanding tone. Ross agreed, "He's right. Mon, you can't do this by yourself. Calling them wouldn't mean that you'd be begging to be taken back…you'd be asking for help. They'd have to listen. Someone's in trouble, and their superheroes."

"Yeah, like you know when some people have a 'superhero complex'?" Phoebe added, using air quotes. "That's where that's from!"

Monica wasn't about to give in so easily. "Come on, how hard can it be? I'll just get on my super suit, go down there and kick some ass. I'll be fine."

"Okay, can you stop being crazy and start being realistic?" Ross retorted.

Rachel put in, "Think about it, sweetie. You're going into a super villain's headquarters, all by yourself. Even with your powers, it'll be hard to fight off that many henchmen. Remember, they have powers, too." After that speech, she paused in disbelief. "I just used the words super villain, powers, and henchmen in the same two sentences. What's wrong with this picture?"

"But…what if they won't help me?" Monica finally asked. "I mean, I'm not exactly their most favorite person."

Putting his arm around her shoulders, Joey answered, "They have to help you, whether they want to or not, 'cause it's what they do!"

"You really think so?" Monica replied.

Ross grabbed the phone receiver. "Only one way to find out."

"But what if…oh, all right," Monica snatched the phone, then raised an eyebrow in surprise when it rang. She answered it. "Hello?" She rolled her eyes. "Sorry, there's a family emergency. I won't be coming back to work today, or tomorrow, for that matter."

"You're on your lunch break?" Phoebe asked.

Monica gave her a "that should've been obvious" look, then resolutely dialed the number of the Center. She listened past the machine-recorded voice, then groaned when it asked her to leave a message. "Hi, it's…Monica. Don't worry, I'm not asking to be let back in, it's just –" She stared at the receiver, stunned, when she got the dial tone. "Those bastards hung up on me!"

"Can any of them read minds?" When everyone shot Joey curious glances, he shrugged. "Well, chances are that if she's calling them bastards in her head, they're not gonna want to talk to her."

"No, Joey, no members of the team can read minds…at least, as far as I know…" Monica answered.

Rachel pointed to the receiver. "Come on, Mon, keep trying. This is Chandler we're talking about!"

"Okay." Letting out a deep breath, Monica dialed, this time deciding she might have better luck if she went straight to Jack's private line. She got the machine again. "Hi, Jack? It's Monica. I know we haven't spoken since…that night, but…I really need your help. Not as a superhero – as a civilian. Volcano, he…kidnapped Chandler, and –"

"Monica?" Jack had picked up the phone.

Monica sighed with relief. "Jack! You have to help! Volcano called, and, well, listen to this." She indicated for Joey to play the message, and Monica heard it for the third time. She waited a beat, then asked, "So…"

"We'll get right on it," Jack replied. "You stay home, and whatever you do, _don't_ get in that limo tonight. We'll call you when we've rescued your fiancé."

Monica couldn't respond for a second, too stunned to speak. "That's…that's _it_? Stay home and wait for you to call, that's your big advice? You honestly can't expect me to just sit here!"

"You don't have any choice. There's no way in hell you're coming with us, and I'll be damned if you're going on your own," Jack replied, becoming angry at her exclamation.

Admitting that there was nothing else she could say, Monica gave a small huff of indignation. A quick look at her friends' distraught expressions revealed that they didn't have an alternative plan either. Finally, she cleared her throat, and with as much dignity she could muster replied, "Fine."

And then she reached over Joey's lap and slammed down the receiver.

* * *

With a good amount of effort, Chandler managed to lift his head off the cold floor. And instantly regretted it. "Ouch!"

"Ah, look who's up."

Chandler blinked a few times, trying to get a sense of his surroundings. He…he was in a cage. No, wait, it was a jail cell. His panic rising as he came to further awareness, he found himself prostrate on the cement. Confused, he put a hand to his aching temple. Last thing he remembered was….wait, he was arriving at his office…he opened his door…the door shut behind him, and he recalled being shocked because he hadn't closed it.

Oh God. He had been kidnapped.

How humiliating.

"W-hat the hell? Where am I?" Chandler demanded, wincing at the loud tone he had used.

A figure stepped into his limited line of vision. It was a man, about his age. His dark eyes that made Chandler want to shudder, and was pretty tall, probably a little over six feet. He had a typical lean build, and was wearing a black suit and tie.

What intimidated Chandler most, though, was his hair. He couldn't even find the right words to describe it. The cut was short, but the color…it was black, but it was like somebody applied a sheer coat of crimson spray paint.

Well, the guy was obviously nuts. Maybe he _did_ have his hair dresser spray it.

His hands in his slacks pockets, the man, approached the cell door. "Hello, Chandler. Do you know who I am?"

"Evil incarnate?" Chandler guessed. The guy honestly looked familiar, but he couldn't place him. At his glare, Chandler shrugged. "What? Ask a stupid question…"

Chandler could tell the man was struggling to control his temper as he warned, "Considering you're trapped in a jail cell, I'd go easy on the sarcasm if I were you."

"Can't promise that. I try to think about what I say before I say it, but sometimes I'm not fast enough," Chandler deadpanned.

His captor gave a frustrated grunt. "Perhaps I should've ensured you remained unconscious."

"Yeah, that probably would have been better for the both of us," Chandler agreed. "By the way…who are you?"

The man gave a small, superior grin. "I'm positive your fiancé's mentioned me. I tend to go by the name Volcano."

"Oh…_oh_ my God," Chandler moaned, laying his head back down. _I am so screwed._ For some reason it hasn't occurred to him that Volcano could look just like a regular person rather than the mustache- twirling evil doer. _Maybe they ran out of long black capes at the super villain store._

Chuckling, Volcano asked, "I take it you've heard of me?"

"It was kind of hard not to," Chandler retorted. Forcing himself to get up, he could only manage to sit against the back wall with his shoulders slumped. "Um, just out of curiosity…why go through all the trouble to kidnap _me_?"

Volcano raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me you're not that stupid."

"Eh," Chandler shrugged.

"Take a moment to put two and two together," Volcano suggested. "_I_ am a thief, a 'super villain' as many choose to call me. Your fiancé, Monica Geller, is a superhero. Anything clicking yet?"

_Oh God._ Chandler felt his breath quicken, his palms getting sweaty. _He knows that Monica is Hurricane. And he's using me as bait._ Chandler has to ask, "How did you find out?"

"It was purely a coincidence." Volcano then went on to explain how he had used the security cameras, and then the message he had left on her machine.

Chandler would have kicked himself if he was flexible enough. _I shouldn't have convinced her to come that day. If she had stayed home like she was supposed to, I wouldn't be here._ He desperately hoped that she would not get in the limo tonight, but who was he kidding? Monica was Monica, and she wouldn't let him get killed without a fight. "You son of a bitch…" Chandler seethed.

"Watch that language," Volcano chided, then, to his captive's shock, formed a lava ball in his hand and fired it at the side wall. "Unless you want to be reminded why the media nicknamed me Volcano."

Closing his eyes to help quell the fear rising in his chest, Chandler let out a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, Volcano was on his way out. "Wait!" Chandler shouted. "You're just gonna…leave me here?"

"Yes, but I've provided entertainment," Volcano answered, pointing to the wall behind Chandler before leaving.

Wrinkling his brow in confusion, Chandler slowly got to his knees and turned around. His jaw dropped in horror.

There was a medium-sized window in the center of the wall. He could see Volcano's center of operations, a room with the dimensions of a warehouse. Workers were bringing in dozens of cases full of money, and other boxes held what Chandler guessed to be more stolen loot.

What had terrified him was the machine standing a few feet in front of the window. It was a laser beam, not humongous but big enough to be intimidating. About a yard opposite it was a vertical, tiled metal table equipped with arm and leg straps.

Chandler had no problem figuring out who that table was for.

* * *

"Why isn't it here yet?" Monica wondered aloud, checking her watch.

Ross glanced at his own watch and sighed. "Mon, it's only 11:30."

"But what if he's late? What if Volcano assumes I didn't get in the limo and…" Monica trailed off, gulping back tears.

Putting an arm around her best friend, Rachel consoled, "Honey, worrying yourself into a panic isn't going to help. You need to focus on calming down and thinking about how to save Chandler."

"If you want, I can show you some meditating exercises," Phoebe offered. She was sitting on the stoop with Joey, watching as the rest of their friends paced the sidewalk in nervous anxiety. As Ross had announced, it was a half hour until midnight, and none of them had even thought about going to sleep. Since getting the message, they all spent the day comforting Monica and agonizing over Chandler.

They had also been waiting on pins and needles for the superhero team to call them, hopefully with good news. But the day went by, and the phone didn't ring once. Monica had grabbed the receiver numerous times to make sure there was a dial tone. She eventually came to the conclusion that either something had happened to the team, or they didn't find Chandler yet.

Either way, she was getting in that limo, and none of her friends stood a chance at dissuading her.

"No thanks," Monica replied, turning on her heel once again and walking the other way. "I don't think anything can relax me at this point."

"I know, but if you don't stop stalking around like that, a cop might think you're a hooker," Phoebe pointed out.

Wanting to wear her super suit to the would-be fight, Monica put a large trench coat over it so that she wouldn't risk her identity while she waited outside. Though, she had to admit that Phoebe was right. "Okay, I'll sit down. Move over."

"Hey! Ow…" Joey groaned as Phoebe slid to her left, knocking him to the sidewalk.

Joey's whining barely registering in her mind, Monica put her head in her hands. "I can't believe I got Chandler into this! He must be so mad at me!"

"This is Chandler," Joey argued. "Knowing him, he's worrying about what Volcano's gonna do to you after you get in that limo tonight."

Monica hadn't even thought of that. "Oh God, you're right. Thanks Joe, you just multiplied my guilt times about a million."

"Monica, honey," Rachel went over and gave her a reassuring hug. "It's not your fault, okay? Every superhero has to face this problem sooner or later. You'll get Chandler back."

"But then what? Wait until the next time some evil nutcase wants revenge?" Monica spat.

Ross had enough. "Monica, snap out of it! This isn't you! Quit thinking about failing and start thinking about kicking some evil ass!"

The group fell into an awkward silence until they all heard the screech of tires around the corner. "That's him. It's midnight!" Monica exclaimed, jumping to her feet. Glancing around the corner, she confirmed her suspicions when she saw the limo approaching. "The four of you, get inside _now_!"

"Good luck, sweetie," Rachel gave her a fierce hug, as did the others.

Ross was the last to say good-bye. "Remember, sis – kick some ass."

The four watched from the building foyer, not daring to breathe as the limo pulled up and Monica got in. Once it had gotten a few feet down the block, Ross grabbed Rachel's hand and indicated that everyone follow him into the cab that had been sitting in front of the stoop all night.

"Ross, what the hell?" Rachel gasped, almost falling into the backseat with him.

Shotgun, Joey glanced at them and asked, "Yeah, dude, what's going on?"

"Monica's gonna need backup, isn't she?" Ross answered, then said something to the waiting driver that he'd always wanted to say. "Follow that limo!"


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

A/N: This is it! The end! I know, you're all _so_ disappointed, but I don't think there was much I could do with the storyline. Don't worry, I will post an epilogue.

Thank you for your reviews! I really appreciate them!

* * *

"So, you come here often?" 

Chandler winced at the glares he received. The Zoom team had been thrown in the jail cell opposite and a little to the right of him, much to his dismay. His meager attempts at humor hadn't been working for the past few hours, and he wasn't sure why he thought that line would.

One of the superheroes, who Chandler remembered was called Houdini, rolled his eyes. "Do you ever shut up?"

"Not if I can help it," Chandler retorted. When no one replied, they fell into an uneasy silence for what must have been the twelfth time that hour. He had come to conclude that the entire Zoom team was very pissed off at him.

Well, he couldn't say that since the whole team wasn't there. The only captives were the older heroes – Zoom, Wonder, and Houdini. Chandler guessed that Mega Boy and Princess weren't there because it was past their bedtimes, but he didn't dare ask.

Another question he wasn't about to ask was why the team was there in the first place. Surely they wouldn't bother breaking into the warehouse and risking their lives for his sake. Maybe it was a superhero code or something that forced them to save any one person, no matter how much they hated his guts.

He was about to say something else when the side door opened. Everyone in the room sucked in a breath as Volcano strolled in. Chandler was very worried by the satisfied smirk the other man wore.

"Keeping each other company, I hope?" Volcano remarked. Not waiting for an answer, he continued, "Well, Chandler, you can breathe easy for now. My limo driver called, and your fiancé is on her way."

"No," Chandler whispered, though on some level he knew she would come. He didn't even bother looking at the team's reaction to the news; he honestly didn't want to know.

Ignoring that, Volcano went on, "Though I wouldn't get too comfortable, and that goes for you three as well. Once Monica is zapped with my latest toy, you'll each have a turn."

"Latest toy?" Zoom repeated.

Volcano gestured at the window in Chandler's cell. "See that laser beam? The team of scientists I hired created it for me as a little favor. I originally wanted it to just remove the powers of any superhero and convert them into energy that I can absorb."

"Originally?" Chandler echoed, positive that he shouldn't have asked two seconds after he did.

Chuckling, Volcano answered, "It's a fortunate coincidence, really."

"Fortunate for who?" Wonder muttered.

"For me of course," Volcano explained. "What the scientists discovered was, superpowers are part of a hero's genetic makeup. They found that they couldn't remove special abilities without killing their owner. At least, if the machine was left on too long it would. It's a very effective time saver, if you ask me."

No one knew how to respond to that. Shocked speechless, the rest could only stare as Volcano left the cell block without saying another word.

There wasn't another sound until Zoom suddenly kicked his cell's bars. "Chandler, this all your stupid fault! If Monica had stayed behind that day, we all wouldn't be prisoners of a maniac!"

"Yeah, I know, you don't have to remind me," Chandler sighed, too exhausted to defend his pride.

Not hearing Chandler's quiet acknowledgement, Zoom ranted, "It's Monica's fault too! Why did she have to lie to us like that? She knows how important trust is. And why wouldn't she tell me of all people that she had a fiancé? That was just mean…"

"What?" Chandler glanced up at that.

Zoom froze, obviously realizing what he just said. "Well, um, you know, we've all told her about our lives…"

"You had a crush on Monica!" Chandler accused.

"Okay, yeah I did, so what?" Zoom spat. "It's not like I did anything wrong! We flirted a little, and since I didn't know she had a boyfriend, I thought she meant it!"

Chandler tried to keep his jealousy in check. "Is that why you cut Monica from the team? Because you thought she had been leading you on? Because if you did, I may have to come over there and beat your head into the brick wall…"

"No!" Zoom protested. "It may have been a little part of why I overreacted, but that had nothing to do with my decision!"

"For your sake, I'll believe that," Chandler muttered, feeling his anger rise.

Wonder had been sitting cross-legged on the floor, but now stood up and spread out her hands like a referee. "Time out! The last thing we should be doing right now is fighting! We should be thinking of ways to avoid being turned into piles of ash by that laser!"

Silence again. Instead of taking Wonder's suggestion, Zoom and Chandler stared each other down. Finally, Chandler decided to break the ice. "You really think that laser will turn us into ash? I always thought cartoons were cool where someone gets zapped and they turn into a roasted chicken…"

* * *

Sitting in the back of the limo, Monica concentrated on wrapping her trench coat's sash around her fingers. It was something to do, and right then she'd never needed to keep her mind occupied more so in her entire life. 

Still, she couldn't ignore her thoughts. She kept wondering if she'd get to see Chandler before Volcano killed her. It didn't pay to be naïve – her death would happen some time tonight. She just wished she could tell her fiancé that she was sorry for everything and that she loved him…

The limo came to a stop. While the driver's parking had been smooth, Monica's head snapped up as if he had slammed on the brakes. She quickly shed her trench coat, turned to face the door, and tried in vain to swallow the lump in her throat.

The door was opened and she stepped out, keeping her wits about her. She flinched as the limo driver gripped he arm and walked her up to large double doors.

She did not expect the treatment she received once she stepped through the entryway. In her mind, Volcano would've been waiting for her. However, the second the doors closed behind her, Monica was grabbed from behind and forced into a large warehouse area.

Gasping, Monica blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Money was _everywhere_, being carted around and stacked by men dressed in jeans and black jackets. Her eyes widened in horrified understanding when they rested on the laser sitting in front of a wall with a average-sized picture window. _That looks like it's gonna hurt._

Though Monica knew resistance wouldn't help, she lost all common sense as panic and fear overcame her. She struggled. She kicked, squirmed, even tried to fly out of her captor's grasp. But the more she fought, the more men rushed over to keep her under control.

Eventually they had to carry her by her arms and legs, which hurt her dignity more so than her limbs. Realizing that she didn't want to go this way, she relaxed her muscles. They got the message and let her walk, though two men made sure her arms stayed behind her back.

_Where's Chandler?_ Monica began to wonder. Volcano wouldn't blast her without letting her see Chandler…would he?

She concentrated on staying calm as they neared the laser, and suddenly noticed the table with the straps attached. Racking her brains, she gave a desperate attempt to figure her way out of this. She kept thinking, even as she was secured to the table.

"Monica!"

The voice was muffled, but she heard it. To her right, beating his hands against the window, was Chandler. "Chandler, oh my God, you're okay! Honey, I am so sorry…"

"Hello, Monica."

Monica whirled her head around to her left, glaring at Volcano with as much hatred as she could muster. "Hello, bastard."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Volcano chuckled, leaning his arm on the top of the table, inches above her head. "So, how was your ride? I'm sure that wasn't your first time in a limo, but for most people it's a fairly special occasion."

"Oh yeah, I was thrilled," Monica retorted, sarcasm evident in her tone.

Volcano laughed again, obviously enjoying the sight of one of his enemies trapped and defenseless. "I must say, I'm a little surprised at you. Sending in the Zoom team? That had to be a very large blow to your stubborn pride."

"Zoom…they came? What did you do with them?" Monica demanded. She tried not to pay attention to the rising guilt. She had been sure they had taken her call and not bothered to come.

Volcano nodded. "Oh yes, they burst in here a few hours ago, all gung-ho about my downfall. As you can imagine, they were quite outnumbered and easily dealt with."

"Dealt with?" Monica whispered, not sure if she wanted him to explain what he meant by that.

Volcano took his arm off the table and strolled over to the laser. "You know, as much as I love to banter with my captives, I am rather eager to see this baby in action, so to speak. Enjoy the last five seconds of your life, Monica Geller."

"No!" Monica cried, giving one last effort to free herself. She could hear Chandler screaming. It must have been her imagination, but she could've sworn she heard her brother's shouts too.

The laser warmed up, the whole metal frame emanating a heat so strong that Monica thought she might die simply from that. A sharp red beam shot out and hit its target.

Monica shrieked, shuddering and flailing as the beam pierced her stomach. She felt her body weaken, and was about to become unconscious when…it stopped. After ten seconds, the laser had ceased fire.

"What the _hell_?" Volcano yelled with rage. Stomping over to her table, he seethed, "You've been granted an extra hour of life, Monica. Something went wrong in the laser's control room. Looks like you'll be able to talk to your fiancé after all."

She would've felt relief if she could; she was too drained to feel anything else. Once again she was grabbed by henchmen, only they had to carry her since she was too weak to walk.

Roughly thrown into a jail cell, Monica didn't even realize Chandler was there until he picked her up by her shoulders and slid her onto his lap. "Monica? Monica? Are you awake?"

"I'm…fine…" Monica managed to get out, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm so sorry, Chandler, I can't talk…in so much pain…"

"Sh, you don't have to," Chandler consoled, hugging her tight.

* * *

"What do we do now?" 

Ross paused, unsure how to reply to Joey's question. They had just broken into the warehouse, crouched down behind tall stacks of money. It took them a minute to find a way in, but at that point they were all just happy the cab driver had been able to tail the limo the whole time.

That driver had gotten what was surely the biggest tip he ever received in his life.

Lost in thought, Ross snapped out of it when Phoebe pointed to their left. "Well, whatever we do, we should probably make sure Monica doesn't get anywhere near that thing."

"What?" Ross asked, following where Phoebe was pointing. _A laser? You've got to be kidding me. Where does this guy get his taking-over-the-world plans from, a sci-fi comic book?_ "Pheebs, I'd have to agree with you on that one."

"But what can we do? They're almost there," Rachel reasoned.

Ross scanned the warehouse, hoping that inspiration would strike. He smiled when he spotted the wall adjacent to the one they were leaning up against. Through a large window Ross could see the control room. "Come on!"

Watching Ross make his way across the room, Phoebe huffed, "You have got to start telling people where you're leading them!"

About to follow suit, Rachel paused and whirled around. "Joey!"

Sure enough, the addressed friend was stuffing loose bills into his pocket. "This, free money! Me, poor actor! Give me a little credit!"

After much maneuvering, the four finally made it outside of the control room. Of course, the door was locked, and they could hear people inside. "It's locked! Damn it!" Ross exclaimed.

"Did you think there would be a welcome mat or something?" Rachel retorted.

Phoebe held up a hand. "Wait a minute." To the amusement of her friends, she took a paper clip from her pocket, straightened it out, and stuck it in the keyhole. She grinned when they heard the click of the lock. At the others' looks, she rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you're surprised."

What happened next went by in a blur for Ross. The four burst in, much to the shock of the two men manning the controls of the laser. For the first time in his life using his karate skills, Ross took out the first guy, while Phoebe kicked the other in the one place men should never be kicked.

Rachel and Joey had run to the control panel, becoming dizzy at the expanse of buttons. Rachel noted that the countdown timer was at ten seconds. "Okay, Joey, which button?"

"What do ya mean, _which_ button?" Joey proceeded to push every button and turn every knob.

As the ten became five, Rachel panicked, "Oh my God, Joey, it's not working! Maybe we can tamper with the wires…" Removing a panel, Rachel smiled at the exposed wires.

"Okay, Rach, which wire you gonna snap?" Joey mocked.

Rachel smirked. "What do you mean, _which_ wire?" She and Joey yanked the wires and gave a yelp of joy when they snapped.

All four, however, were stunned into silence when the laser went off. Ross let out a shout, turning away from the window. They all breathed a collective sigh of relief when the laser died down.

"They're taking her somewhere!" Phoebe exclaimed, grabbing Ross' hand and running out of the room. "We gotta go after them!"

* * *

"Monica? Monica?" 

Forcing her eyes open, Monica tried to sit up. She wanted to rest, but Chandler kept calling her name every few minutes to make sure she was still breathing. "Chandler, relax, I'm alive."

"That wasn't me," Chandler replied, glancing around the cell room to find the source of the noise. His mouth fell open in surprise.

Monica was a little worried now. "Who is it?"

"Monica! Chandler!"

She watched in total disbelief as her brother burst into the room, followed by Phoebe and Joey. Struggling to at least sit upright against the back wall, Monica demanded, "What are you doing here? Are you crazy?"

"We're busting your asses out of here!" Phoebe exclaimed.

Chandler shook his head. "Wait, I don't understand. How did you find us?"

"We followed you in a cab," Ross explained, already examining the lock on the cell door, then glanced at Phoebe. "Pheebs, think you can work your magic on this thing?"

"Give me a minute or two," Phoebe replied, once again taking out her paper clip.

Joey, meanwhile, had approached the cell bars, trying to keep his calm at the sight of two of his best friends trapped. "Dudes, you okay? He didn't torture you or anything, did he?"

"Depends on what you mean by torture," Chandler deadpanned, giving the three other superheroes the evil eye.

Joey just then noticed that the heroes were in the room. "What are they doing here?"

"_We_ were trying to save your friend over there," Zoom answered, obviously bitter that they had managed to avoid getting captured, and his own team hadn't. "How did you even get in here?"

"A ground floor window," Ross informed him.

"But then how…"

Ross shot him a meaningful look. "Trust me, you don't wanna know the details."

"Can you go any faster?" Joey urged Phoebe. "We shouldn't leave Rachel by herself too long."

"I'm almost there," Phoebe assured him.

Monica didn't believe what she was hearing. "Wait, _Rachel_ is out there all by herself?"

"We needed a look out," Ross replied.

Chandler raised an eyebrow. "Dude, didn't you watch Scooby-Doo at _all_ when you were a kid? The look-outs are always the first one to be caught by the monster!"

"I think we're ok, Chandler," Ross retorted. "This isn't going to take too long, and she's hidden behind a few money stacks."

"Okay…almost…_there_!" Phoebe cheered as the lock clicked. She slid the door open, and Chandler helped Monica walk out.

After hugging her brother and Joey in greeting, Monica suggested, "You guys stay here and help Phoebe if she needs it. We'll go get Rachel."

"I'm coming with you. You shouldn't go out there alone," Ross argued, following them outside. "Besides it'll be easier to find exits if there's four of us."

Monica wrinkled her brow. "Find exits? But –"

"Now is not the time to deal with Volcano, okay? Let's focus on getting out of here alive," Ross interrupted.

Once outside, however, Rachel was nowhere to be found. "Rachel?" Ross called softly, raising his voice as much as he dared.

"You said she was right outside the door?" Monica questioned.

Ross was about to answer, but kept silent as his gaze drifted upwards.

"Maybe she wandered off? But where…"

"Mon…"

"You don't think she got in trouble, do you?"

"Mon…"

"She better be if she's making us worry like –"

"Monica!"

"_What_?"

Ross pointed to the catwalk several feet above them, unable to speak. Volcano was simply standing there, watching them panic. He had an arm around Rachel's neck, and a fireball formed in his free hand.

"Let her go!" Monica shrieked, anger coursing through her veins. By then, the five others had run out of the cell room, horrified by the scene in front of them.

Ross was trembling. "Rachel, stay calm, we –"

"Will do exactly as I say," Volcano seethed, then noted that Monica was about to fly up there and attack. "If one of you, especially the heroes, so much as moves a muscle, she dies."

"Guys, don't listen to him! Forget about me and get him while you –" Rachel's pleas were cut off as Volcano covered her mouth with his hand.

Ross looked like he was about to explode. "What do you want?"

"_I_ want you to all get back in your cells, now," Volcano demanded.

Monica began to debate her options, when she noticed Wonder. The teen was squinting her eyes ever so slightly in the direction of the fireball. Smiling with confidence, Monica turned back to Volcano. "All right, if you say so."

Suddenly the fireball in his hand flew out of his grasp, flying a few feet ahead of him, then starting darting towards him like a bullet.

Volcano leaped out of the way, throwing Rachel to the side in the process. Rachel tumbled over the low railing, plummeting towards the cement. Rising off the ground almost as soon as her friend did, Monica darted toward her, catching Rachel just in time.

Breathless, Rachel gripped onto her best friend for dear life. "Hey Mon, you know how you owed me one for when I got you those free outfits from work? Yeah, I'd say we're even."

After that, defeating Volcano was laughably easy. Joey, Phoebe, Ross, and Rachel fought off the surrounding henchmen with their varying degrees of expertise.

The superheroes rounded on Volcano. Wonder deflected any fireballs he tried to throw, and Dylan turned invisible and was able to grab him from behind. With his accelerated speed, Zoom dragged Volcano over to the laser and strapped him down to the table.

Meanwhile, Monica and Chandler had snuck off to the control room. Spotting the unconscious operators, Monica gave her fiancé a puzzled glance. "I wonder what happened to them?"

"My guess is that Ross finally got to use some of his karate," Chandler joked, putting the same emphasis on "karate" as Ross would.

Laughing, Monica examined the panel. "Okay, now how do I make this thing go off…"

"Are you gonna fry him?" Chandler asked, indicating Volcano, who was struggling to free himself.

Monica paused. She'd had every intention of making him take the beam until his insides charred. But…could she really kill somebody, even somebody evil?

Purposely not answering Chandler, she tried to start up the laser. Then she noticed the snapped wires. Sharing a look with Chandler, she reasoned, "They probably couldn't find the 'off' button."

Luckily, there was some electrical tape, and within minutes she turned it on. Volcano screamed, louder than she had, though she hadn't thought that was possible.

After only a second she couldn't take it anymore. She switched it off, then wrapped Chandler in a hug, leaning her head on his shoulder. "You still have your cell phone?"

"No, but the others have theirs."

"Good. Let's go call the police."


	10. Epilogue

**Epilogue **

A/N: Yes, all good things must come to an end. I'm very happy that I actually finished another chapter story and didn't abandon it.

Once again, thanks for all your reviews! And I am going to start another Friends chapter story, a quick Mondler one for Thanksgiving that I've been wanting to do for a while.

* * *

A week later, the six were gathered at Monica and Chandler's apartment. It was an impromptu celebration. Since in the days after the kidnapping the two had been swamped with reporter's calls and talk show appearances, they had all decided it would be best to put it off.

Monica felt she definitely had much to celebrate. For one thing, her fiancé was safe and sound, and he didn't resent her for getting him kidnapped. She had a whole new appreciation for him, and lately wanted to show it in the bedroom. And Chandler wasn't about to deny her freedom of emotional expression.

Other than when she came home at the end of the day, though, she barely had free time. After the police raided the warehouse, they'd found Volcano's records.

Her secret identity was no longer a secret.

Saving Chandler and defeating Volcano had been national news, but her exposure put the story over the top. Every day requests for interviews flooded her phone line. It was at the point where she couldn't even go to Central Perk anymore without being hounded by admirers. Both she and Chandler had decided to become hermits, only going to work and media appointments until the hype died down.

Needless to say, the Zoom team wasn't too happy about this. They had been forced by reporters to comment on her situation and how it affected her standing with the team. While they put on a polite smile and didn't bash her, they made it known that she had been cut from the team.

At least, that's what they said.

"Everybody, can I have your attention for a minute?"

Standing in front of the TV, Monica let out a nervous breath as five pairs of eyes turned to look at her. All of her friends' wore curious faces, except for Chandler, who's face was supportive instead. She'd had numerous lengthy conversations with him about what she was about to announce.

Monica took a second to gather her thoughts, ever more relieved that she had chosen to wait for her parents to leave. They stopped by for dinner, much to Monica's chagrin. It had been the first time seeing them since they learned of her secret.

However, they'd pleasantly surprised her when they talked to her alone. In so many words they'd said how in the past few weeks they've come around to the idea, and would love her no matter what she was or how many powers she had. It'd take them a while to get used to it, but in the end they were proud of her.

Just thinking about the moment made tears well in Monica's eyes. .

"What's up, Mon?" Ross asked with a note of dread in his tone, obviously misinterpreting the tears.

Wiping her eyes, Monica cleared her throat and began, "Don't worry, Ross, it's not breaking news or anything. But it is news. You see, the day after the whole…incident, I got a call from Zoom. He said that after what happened, he said I could rejoin the team."

"What? After how they treated you?" Rachel interrupted.

Phoebe added, "You told him no way in hell, right?"

"And how would that work if everyone knows your identity?" Joey put in.

Monica held up a hand. "Let me finish! Anyway, I didn't know what to say to that. On one hand, yeah, I was a little offended. But…I did miss them, and being a hero. We talked about it, and Zoom suggested that if I created a new hero identity, and wore an outfit that covered my face a bit more, we'd be able to pull it off.

"But then…I started thinking about what my life has been like since I was suspended. I had a real job, more time to spend with you guys. I realized that I didn't want it to end. Chandler and I are getting married soon, and that means we're starting a new life together. When we have a kid…yes, Chandler, _when_…I don't want to have to miss her dance recital because I'm out saving the world."

She paused for breath, letting them digest the information. Finally, Ross questioned, "So, you're done with all this superhero stuff? Forever?"

"I wouldn't say forever," Monica admitted. "I mean, I still have my powers. It wouldn't be fair to let them go to waste. I'll probably end up creating another identity just so I can help the team when they really need me. But my powers haven't been the same since that laser zapped me. I think, at this point in time, it's best for me to step down." During the silence that followed, Chandler went over and wrapped her in his arms.

Rachel eventually spoke up. "Wow…are you sure this is what you want?"

"Positive," Monica replied, smiling.

Chandler smirked. "I just hope you can handle being normal. You know, kicking evil ass might be all fun and games, but watching TV in your underwear takes talent."

Laughing, Monica retorted, "I'll try."


End file.
